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TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14S80 

(716)  872-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibllographiques 


The  Instltuta  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibllographlcally  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checited  below. 


0    Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

□    Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommag^e 

□   Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurAe  et/ou  pellicul6e 

□   Cover  title  missing/ 
Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

0   Coloured  maps/ 
Cartes  gAographiques  en  couleur 

□   Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (I.e.  autre  que  bbje  ou  noire) 

□   Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/cu  illustrations  en  couleur 


D 
D 


D 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
ReilA  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr6e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  la  long  de  la  marge  IntArieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutAes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  Atait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  *t«  filmAes. 


L'Instltut  a  microfilm*  le  meilieur  exemplaire 
qu'i!  lul  a  At*  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sent  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibllographlque,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  methods  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqute  cl-dessous 

□   Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

□   Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  f^ndommagies 

□   Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurtes  et/ou  pallicuMes 

□   Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  dAcolor^es,  tachettos  ou  piqutes 

□   Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ditachies 

□   Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

□   Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  InAgale  de  I'impresslon 

□   Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  mat6rial  supplAmentaire 

□   Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Mition  disponlble 


Th 
to 


D 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totaiement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feulilet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6tA  filmAes  A  nouveau  de  fapon  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


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Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires: 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  ItX  22X 


y 


26X 


aox 


12X 


16X 


aox 


a4x 


28X 


32X 


Th«  copy  film«d  h«r«  hat  b««n  rsproducsd  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


L'axamplaira  filmi  fut  raproduit  grica  A  la 
giniroalt*  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  batt  quality 
poaalbia  contidaring  tha  condition  and  lagibiiity 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  tpacificationt. 


Laa  imagas  suivantas  ont  AtA  raproduitas  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin.  compta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattatA  da  l'axamplaira  film6,  at  an 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covars  ara  f  ilmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion.  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copias  ara  filmad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion.  and  anding  on  tha  last  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illustratad  imprassion. 


Tha  last  racordad  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  ••^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED "I,  or  tha  symbol  V  (meaning  "END  "), 
whichever  applies. 


Les  exemplairas  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimie  sont  fiimAs  en  commengant 
par  l6  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darniiire  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'iilustration.  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  las  autres  exemplairas 
originaux  sont  film6s  an  commandant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'iilustration  at  en  terminant  par 
la  derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
darniire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  !e 
cas:  la  symbole  -^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  'FIN  ". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  retios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  d  des  taux  de  reduction  difftrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  film*  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'imagas  nicessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivasits 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


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How  to  Reacts 


The  New  Gold  Fields 


Is  Probably  Uppermost  in  the  Minds  ot  nii^nu  People  Inst  at  this 
time,  and  to  this  Question  we  will  lend  our  endea««irs. 


There  are  Two  General  Kontes  to  the  Kloudyke  District 

from  Seattle. 


V;)v 


ONE  route  goes  by  ocean  steamer  west  and  a  little  nortn,  and 
passes  through  Dutch  Harbor,  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  south- 
-west Alaskan  peninsula.  From  there  the  steamer  turns  i.orth  and 
continues  on  to  St.  Michael's  Island,  a  little  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Yukon,  in  Bering  Sea.  At  that  point  passengers  are  transferred  to 
the  river  steamers  to  begin  the  long  journey  up  the  Yukon,  which 
winds  northward  and  eastward,  and  finally  brings  the  traveler  tO' 
Dawson  City,  now  the  principal  town  in  the  mining  district,  although 
sixty-five  miles  from  the  Klondyke  fields. 

The  fare  on  boats  of  the  North  American  Transportation  and 
Trading  Company  from  Seattle  to  any  point  on  the  Yukon  river  is 
$200,  this  to  include  200  pounds  of  baggage,  also  meals  and  berth. 
Practically  the  last  boat  that  will  reach  the  Klondyke  this  fall  left 
Seattle  August  5th,  and  is  now  well  on  its  way.  There  will  be  boats 
undertaking  the  journey  later  this  season,  but  they  will  be  fortunate 
to  arrive  at  Dawson  July  1st  of  next  year.  Although  late  when  arriv- 
ing, that  their  well  filled  cargoes  will  be  welcomed  by  many  a  hungry 
miner  is  our  prediction.  Consequently  this  route  is  out  of  the  ques- 
tion if  you  wish  to  reach  the  Klondyke  thiE  fall,  Kcept  with  doga 
and  sleds  on  ice  from  St  Michael's  Island.. 


Pacific  N.W.  History  D-r>'. 

PROVINCIAL  UIBRARV 
VICTOBIA,  B.  C. 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


In  time  the  trip  takes  thirty  days,  eighteen  days  from  Seattle  to  St. 
Michael's  Island  and  twelve  days  up  the  Yukon  to  Dawson  City  by  fast 
boat. 

DISTANCES. 

Seattle  to  St.  Michael's  Island 2,500  Miles 

St.  Michael's  Island  to  Weare 1,000     " 

Weare  to  Dawson 1,200     " 

THE  "mountain  ROUTE" 

The  other  way  to  the  Kloudyke,  the  "mountain  route,"  is  shorter  in 
miles,  but  equally  long  in  the  time  it  requires  and  a  great  deal  more  diffi- 
cult in  some  respects.  By  this  route  the  traveler  sails  more  directly  north 
to  Juneau,  which  is  899  milies  from  Seattle,  and  then  goes  by  lake  and  river 
and  over  the  mountains  1,800  miles  to  the  new  mining  territory. 

Pacific  Coast  Steamship  Co.  comes  from  San  Francisco  or  from  Puget 
Sound  Ports  to  Juueau.  Steamers  usually  make  about  six  sailings  per 
month. 

Steamship  Company's  Folder  (which  can  be  found  in  most  of  the  hotel 
and  railroad  folder  racks)  contains  a  schedule  of  sailings. 

Practically  the  great  basin  of  the  Yukon  is  reached  by  but  one  route 
in  spring  and  fall— that  via  Juneau  and  the  Chilkoot  pass,  this  being  the 
shortest,  quickest  and  cheapest,  and  the  one  taken  by  fully  ninety-five  per 
cent,  of  the  gold  seekers  of  the  vast  interior.  The  first  hundred  miles 
over  this  route  is  accomplished  by  steam  navigation  from  Juneau  to 
Dyea;  the  next  stage  is  made  by  canoe  and  sleigh,  or  if  preferred  by  pack 
train,  twenty-seven  miles  to  Lake  Lindevman,  where  boats  are  built  in 
which  the  downstream  journey  is  continued  to  completion. 

"WHEN  TO  START. 

Parties  going  this  next  spring  should  start  from  Juneau  be'^ween  the 
middle  of  March  and  end  of  April  as  tbey  can  then  do  their  own  trans- 
porting on  sloighs  across  the  summit  and  down  the  lakes  to  where  good 
timber  for  boat  building  is  to  be  found,  and  the  start  down  the  river  made 
when  the  ice  breaks,  which  is  much  earlier  than  on  the  lakes,  and  the  mines 
may  be  reached  a  month  sooner  than  if  the  boats  are  built  on  the  lakes  and 
a  wait  made  for  the  ice  to  break  there.  Four  or  five  men  should  compose 
each  party,  as  one  tent,  stove,  set  of  tools,  etc..  will  suffice  for  all.  One  of 
the  party  should  have  a  knowledge  of  boat  building,  for  it  is  an  absolute 
necessity  that  the  craft  shall  be  staunch  and  substantial.  The  double 
ended  batteau  is  the  pattern  ordinarily  preferred,  though  the  plain  scow  of 
goQd  depth  is  more  easily  built  and  can  be  depended  upon.  No  man  should 
attempt  the  journey  alone. 

OUTFITS. 

Juneau  merchants  make  a  specialty  of  this  trade,  knowing  exactly  what 
is  wanted  and  how  it  should  be  put  up.    Providing,  they  have  the  stock  in 


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THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


band,  after  the  rush  of  this  fall,  their  ability  to  fill  orders  might  be  a  ques 
tion.  An  outfit  depends  much  upon  the  purse  and  taste  of  the  purchaser 
and  will  cost  from  $50  to  $150  for  a  spring  trip.  Experience  has  proved 
the  following  to  be  essentials: 

Flour,  50  pounds;  baking  powder,  H  pounds;  dried  fruit  15  pounds; 
bacon  (side),  20  pounds;  beans,  35  pounds;  sugar  (loaf)i  10  pounds;  coffee, 
3  pounds ;  te^,  1  pound ;  salt,  3  pounds ;  pepper,  i  pound ;  dessicated 
onions,  one  pound;  matches,  2  bunches;  butter,  milk,  rice,  coru  meal, 
etc.,  (optional). 

Two  pairs  heaviest  woolen  socks ;  1  pair  Canadian  laragans  or  shoe ' 
packs ;  1  pair  German  socks;  2  pairs  heavest  woolen  blankets;  1  oil  blanket 
or  canvas;  1  Mackinaw  suit;  2 heavy  flannel  shirts;  two  pairs  heavy  over- 
alls; 2  pairs  heavy  woolen  shoes;  1  pair  snow  glasses;  cap,  mittens,  mos- 
quito netting,  etc. 

One  8x10  wall  tent  (8oz.  duck  or  heavy  drill);  1  small  Yukon  stove,  3 
lengths  telescope  pipe;  1  large  frying  pan;  1  baking  pan;  1  8-qu.  granite 
kettle .  1  6-qt.;  1  large  mixing  spoon;  1  knife,  fork  and  spoon;  3i  pounds 
axe.  nails,  hammer,  saws,  pitch  and  oakum  for  boat  building,  and  f>0  feet 
f  inch  rope.  No  doubt  with  the  competition  of  trading  companies  the  com- 
ing spring,  goods  will  be  reasonably  cheap  on  the  Yukon  after  July  15. 
The  above  list  of  provisions  would  be  sufficient  for  a  spring  trip,  but  parties 
going  ovex  the  mountain  this  fall  should  multiply  their  provision  list  by 
four  or  take  in  at  least  700  lbs.  of  food. 

JTTNEATJ  IS  REACHED 

From  Puget  Sound  ports  by  six  to  eight  steamers  each  month.  Leave 
Seattle,  and  Northern  Pacific  dock,  Tacoma,  calling  at  Pt.  Townsend, 
Victoria,  Mary  Island,  Kitchikan,  Wrangel  and  other  ports.  The  trip 
usually  takes  five  or  six  days.  During  the  spring  months  steamers  leave 
Juneau  for  Dyea  a  day  or  two  after  the  arrival  of  mail  steamers;  usual 
fare,  $10.  No  actual  survey  of  this  route  has  ever  been  made  but  the  fol- 
owing  table  of  distances  has  been  carefully  estimated  and  for  all  practical 
purposes  will  be  found  correct : 

DISTANCES  FROM    JUNEAU.  MlleS. 

Head  of  canoe  navigation 106 

'•  Summit  of  Chilkoot  Pass 115 

*'  Lake  Linderman  Landing 124 

"  Head  of  Lake  Bennett , 129 

"  Boundary  line  bet.  B.  C.  &  N.  W.  T 139 

"  Foot  of  Lake  Bennett 155 

"  Foot  of  Caribou  crossing 158 

•'  Foot  of  Takou  Lake 175 

"  Takish  House 179 

"  Head  of  Mud  Lake 180 

"  Foot  of  Lake  Marsh 200 


THE  RLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


DISTANCES  FROM  JUNEAU.  MileS. 

"  Head  of  Canon 225 

"  Head  of  White  Hcrse  Rapids. 228 

"  Takheena  River 240 

"  Head  of  Lake  LeBarj  ^ 256 

To  Foot  of  Lake  LeBarge 287 

"  Hootalinqua 330 

"  Cassiar  Bar 347 

"  Little  Salmon  Rivei- 390 

"  Five  Fingers 452 

"  Pelly  River 510 

"  Stewart  River 530 

"  Dawson  City 700 

Juneau  is  a  city  of  about  3,000  inhabitants,  and  one  of  the  oldest 
trading  and  ou '..fitting  points  on  the  coast,  is  the  head  of  regular  stoam 
boat  navigatiou  during  the  winter  and  spring  months.  The  town  is  well 
supplied  with  hotels  and  restaurants.  Good  board  m.ay  be  had  for  a 
dollar  a  day,  lodgings  extra.  Here  your  outfit  must  be  revised  and  addit- 
ional purchases  made,  such  as  Yukon  sleigh,  stove,  snow  shoes,  etc. 
Advice  from  merchants  here  will  be  of  great  assistance  to  you  in  purchas- 
ing for  the  journey.  For  more  than  COO  miles  stretch  their  weary  length 
between  Juneau  and  Dawson. 

The  valley  of  the  Yukon  may  be  reached  from  Juneau  by  four  different 
routes,  crossing  the  coast  range  of  mountains  through  as  many  passes,  the 
Dyea  or  Chilkoot  pass,  the  Chilkat,  Moore's  or  the  White  pass,  and  Takou. 
As  the  Chilkoot  is  the  only  pass  used  to  any  extent,  it  is  this  route  the 
miner  will  select.  From  Juneau  to  the  summit  of  the  Chilkoot  pass  is  a 
distance  of  115  miles.  Small  steamers  ply  irregularly  between  here  and 
Dyea,  the  head  of  navigation,  a  hundred  miles  northwest  of  Juneau. 
During  the  early  spring  these  boats  usually  sail  a  day  or  two  after  the 
arrival  of  the  mail  steamers  from  the  Sound.  The  trip  in  good  weather  is 
made  in  twelve  hours  if  there  is  no  towing  to  be  done  and  the  regular  fare 
is  ten  dollars,  each  passenger  furnishing  his  own  blankets  and  provisions. 
If  the  party  is  a  large  one  with  considerable  baggage  a  scow  is  loaded  with 
the  miners'  outfits;  if  the  tides  are  high  the  boat  sometimes  goes  over  the 
bar  at  the  head  of  Douglas  island  thus  saving  nearly  twenty  miles  of  travel 
besides  avoiding  the  rough  waters  of  the  Takous.  If  the  tides  are  not 
high  the  scow  may  be  towed  over  the  bar  by  the  little  tug  "Julia"  and 
the  steamboat  will  take  its  course  around  the  lower  end  of  Douglas.  In 
rounding  the  point  of  the  island  the  vessel  is  often  subjected  to  the  fierce 
winds  which  sweep  down  the  valley  of  the  Takou  river.  If  there  is  a 
strong  north  or  northwest  wind,  like  a  demon  it  comes  roaring  out  from 
the  Takou,  lashing  the  water  into  foam  in  its  rage  and  tossing  volumes  of 
spray  clear  over  the  top  of  Grand  island.  When  the  steamer  has  come 
around  to  the  head  of  the  island  it  takes  the  scow  in  tow  and  in  about 


II 


« 


THE  KLONDTKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


SUMMIT  AT  CHILKOOT. 


THE  KLONDVKK  (JOM)  FIKLDS. 


twenty  hours  from  tlio  time  of  loaviiiR  it  enters  the  mouth  of  the  Dyea 
river  near  Chilkoot,  the  salt-water  journey  is  ended. 

Here  on  a  sandpit,  about  a  mile  below  Healy  &  Wilson's  trading  posts, 
the  outfits  are  taken  from  the  scow  and  piled  upon  the  beach.  Each  man 
must  look  out  for  himself  now—the  guardianship  of  your  baggage  by  any 
carrying  company  is  ended.  Juneau  is  nearly  a  hundred  miles  behind  you. 
Immediately  in  the  foreground  is  the  ranch  and  store  owned  by  Healy  & 
Wilson,  and  beyond  in  their  mantles  '■'"  snow  rise  the  coast  mountains, 
cold  and  severe,  striking  a  feeling  of  dread  into  many  a  heart;  and  beyond 
this  frozen  barrier  there  stretches  aw.iy  hundreds  of  miles  the  vast  country 
of  the  Toukon.  an  expanse  so  wif'  hat  il  Is  limited  only  by  the  extint  of 
man's  endurance.  But  haste  must  be  raii'le  in  the  sorting  of  outfits  and 
getting  them  above  tide  water.  Most  iniiv^rs  camp  near  by  in  the  edge  of 
the  woods,  perhaps  taking  one  or  two  meals  at  the  trading  post,  which  can 
bo  had  at  the  price  of  fifty  cents  each  ;  others  find  both  herd  and  lodging 
there  until  they  are  ready  to  push  on. 

Now  for  the  first  time  the  miner  begins  to  size  up  his  belongings,  and 
begins  to  realize  that  a  proper  outfit  for  a  trip  of  this  kind  is  the  result  of 
experience,  and  the  longer  he  has  been  in  this  country  and  the  more 
thoroughly  he  knows  it,  just  so  much  more  care  is  used  in  the  selection 
and  packing  of  his  outfit.  A  careful  and  thorough  examination  should  be 
made  to  see  that  nothing  has  been  lost  or  forgotten.  There  is  his  Yukon 
sleigh,  without  which  further  progress  would  be  well  nigh  impossible* 
a  skeleton  affair  made  from  the  best  hard  wood  and  shod  with  ground 
steel  runners.  It  is  seven  feet  three  inches  long  and  sixteen  inches  wide — 
just  the  proper  width  to  track  behind  snowshoes.  and  its  cost  from  seven 
to  fourteen  dollars  Steel  is  preferable  to  iron  for  the  shoes,  as  it 
slides  more  easily  through  the  fine,  dry  snow  one  finds  in  the  early 
spring.  No  outfit  is  complete  without  snowshoes,  tent,  blankets  or  fur 
robes,  besides  tools  for  boat-building  and  plenty  of  provisions,  and 
now  an  ingenious  little  sheet-iron  stove  has  come  to  be  almost  an  indis. 
pensable  luxury.  An  ordinary  outfit  will  weigh  about  four  hundred  pounds 
to  the  man.  For  the  spring  trip  it  will  be  easier  to  buy  provisions  for 
the  season's  prospecting  there,  but  to  make  the  trip  this  fall  you  should 
endeavor  to  carry  at  'east  1000  lbs.  If  anything  is  lacking  it  is  well  to 
remember  that  this  pcjt  is  the  last  store  until  the  Yukon  is  reached. 
Unless  the  weather  is  stormy  one  night  is  all  that  is  spent  in  camp  here, 
and  in  the  morning  the  outfit  is  mo.ed  ahead.  Unless  it  is  very  small  this 
must  be  done  in  sections,  and  it  is  necessary  to  "double-trip"  it,  in  a 
miner's  parlance,  that  is,  make  two  or  more  loads  of  the  outfit,  moving  a 
part  ahead  to  some  point  then  unloading  it  and  returning  for  the  rest.  On 
leaving  Healy  &  Wilson's  with  the  last  sleigh  load,  one  bids  farewell  to 
hotels,  restaurants,  steamboats  and  stores— in  fact,  to  civilization,  and  is  a 
"  free  man  "  to  pursue  his  course  how  and  where  he  will ;  beyond  all  con- 
ventionalities of  society,  and  practically  beyond  all  law  so  far  as  it  is  the 
outgrowth  of  organized  governments. 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


Going  up  the  Dyea  river  five  miles  on  the  ice,  will  bring  one  to  the 
mouth  of  the  canyon.  Here  in  the  woods  a  comfortable  camp  can  be  easily 
arranged.  The  tent  is  pitched  on  top  of  the  snow,  the  poles  and  pins 
being  pushed  down  into  it.  While  some  are  busily  engaged  in  building  a 
fire  and  making  a  bed,  the  best  cook.of  the  party  prepares  the  supper.  If 
you  have  no  stove  a  camp-flre  must  be  built,  either  on  an  exposed  point  ef 
rock  or  in  a  hole  dug  down  ia  the  snow ;  if  you  have  a  stove  it  can  be 
quickly  arranged  on  a  "  gridiron  "  inside  the  tent,  the  gridiron  consisting 
of  three  poles  some  six  or  eight  feet  long,  and  laid  on  the  snow  on  which 
the  stove  is  placed.  The  heat  from  the  stove  will  soon  melt  a  hole  under- 
neath, but  there  will  be  enough  firm  snow  under  the  ends  of  the  poles  tb 
hold  it  up.  For  the  bed  hemlock  brush  is  cut  and  laid  on  the  snow  to  a 
depth  of  a  foot  or  more,  and  this  is  covered  with  a  large  square  of  canvas 
on  which  the  blankets  and  robes  are  put ;  when  finished  it  forms  a  natural 
spring  bed,  which  will  offer  grateful  rest  after  hauling  a  sled  all  day. 

Dyea  canyon  is  about  two  miles  long,  and  perhaps  fifty  feet  wide.  A 
boat  cannot  go  through  it,  but  in  the  early  spring  miners  go  through  on 
the  ice,  bridging  with  poles  the  dangerous  places  or  openings.  After  the 
ice  breaks  up  it  is  necessary  to  go  over  the  trail  on  the  east  side  of  the 
canyon.  This  trail  was  built  by  Captain  Healy  at  his  own  expense,  but  is 
little  used,  as  most  miners  go  through  the  canyon  before  the  ice  breaks  up. 
The  camping  place  beyond  the  canyon  is  a  strip  of  woods  some  three  miles 
long,  known  as  Pleasant  camp.  Its  name  is  something  of  a  misnomer  for 
there  is  not  even  a  log  shanty  there ;  some  woods  to  give  a  kind  of  shelter, 
and  as  everywhere  else  along  the  route,  plenty  of  snow. 

From  here  the  ascent  is  gradual  and  the  next  and  last  camp  in  timber 
before  crossing  the  summit  is  known  as  Sheep  camp.  This  is  at  the  edge 
of  timber,  and  no  wood  for  a  fire  can  be  gotten  any  higher  up.  This  camp 
is  not  usually  broken  until  all  of  the  outfit  has  been  placed  on  the  summit. 
When  the  weather  is  favorable,  everything  except  what  is  necessary  for 
camp  is  pushed  a  mile  and  a  half  to  Stone  house,  a  clump  of  oig  rocks, 
and  then  to  what  is  called  the  second  bench.  Care  must  be  exercised  in 
case  of  soft  weather,  or  everything  is  liable  to  be  swept  from  tho  bench 
by  a  snow-slide  or  avalanche,  and  should  this  happen  the  Indians  will 
prove  of  great  assistance  in  recovering  part  of  the  things.  With  long, 
slender  rods  tipped  with  steel  they  feel  down  in  the  snow  and  locate  most 
of  the  larger  packages,  which,  without  them  and  their  feel  rods  one  would 
never  find.  At  Sheep  camp  the  summit  towers  above  you  about  3,500  feet, 
but  the  pass  is  some  500  feet  lower.  No  further  progress  can  be  made 
until  a  clear  day,  and  sometimes  the  weather  continues  bad  for  two  or 
three  weeks,  the  mountain  top  hidden  in  thick  clouds,  and  icy  wind  hurl- 
ing the  new  fallen  snow  in  every  direction,  or  driving  the  sleet  in  the  face 
of  any  one  bold  enough  to  stir  out  of  camp,  and  peep  up  at  that  almost 
precipitous  wall  of  snow  and  ice.  But  sunshine  comes  at  last,  and  the 
winds  grow  still.    Now  comes  the  tug  of  war— to  get  the  outfit  to  the 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


9 


summit,  for  600  feet  every  step  must  be  cut  in  the  ice,  and  so  steep  is  it 
that  a  person  with  a  pack,  on  his  back  must  constantly  bend  forward  to 
maintain  bis  equilibrium.  The  first  load  landed  on  the  summit  of  the  pass 
a  shovel  is  stuck  in  the  snow  to  mark  the  spot,  then  back  for  another 
pack,  and  fortunate  is  he  who  gets  his  whole  outfit  up  in  a  single  day. 
Indians  may  be  bired  to  do  the  packing,  and  their  rates  vary  sligbtly,  but 


A   HALT  IN  CHILKOOT   PASS. 

the  regular  price  has  been  five  dollars  a  hundredweight  from  the  second 
bench  to  the  summit,  or  fifteen  cents  a  pound  from  Healy  &  Wilsons  to  the 
lakes.  These  prices  have  been  shaded  a  little  the  past  season,  and  some 
outfits  were  packed  over  to  the  lakes  at  thirteen  cents  a  pound.  The 
reasons  for  this  cut  in  prices  are  that  many  miners  insist  on  doing  their 
own  packing  and  that  their  wdrk  has  been  seriously  afl'ected  by  a  tramway 
device  which  was  operated  last  season  with  more  or  less  success  by  one 
Peterson,  whose  inventive  genius  led  him  to  believe  that  a  simple  arrange- 
ment of  ropes  and  pulleys  would  greatly  help  in  getting  outfits  up  the 
steeper  places.  A  small  log  is  buried  in  the  snow,  and  to  this  **  dead 
man  "  a  pulle>  is  attached  through  which  a  long  rope  is  passed,  to  the 
lower  end  of  which  a  loaded  Yukon  sleigh  is  attached  and  tlie  empty  box 
on  the  sled  fastened  to  the  upper  end  of  the  rope  is  then  filled  with  snow 
until  its  weight  becomes  sufficient  to  take  it  down  the  incline,  thus  drag- 
ging the  other  one  up.  The  snow  was  found  too  light,  but  with  three  or 
four  men  as  ballast  in  place  of  snow  it  worked  well  and  saved  a  good  deal 
of  hard  packing.     When  the  last  load  has  reached  the  summit,  and  the 


10 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


miner  stands  beside  his  outfit  looking  down  toward  the  ocean  only  twenty 
miles  away,  he  can  see  that  his  journey  has  fairly  begun,  as  he  turns 
and  sees  the  descending  slope  melting  away  into  the  great  valley  of  the 
Yukon. 

The  descent  for  the  first  half  mile  is  steep,  then  a  gradual  slope  to 
Lake  Linderman  some  ten  miles  away.  But  there  is  little  time  for  resting 
and  none  for  dreaming,  as  the  edge  of  the  timber  where  the  camp  must  be 
made  is  seven  miles  from  the  summit.  Taking  the  camping  outfit  and 
sufficient  provisions  for  four  or  five  days,  the  sleigh  is  loaded,  the  rest  of 
the  outfit  is  packed  up,  or  buried  in  the  snow,  shovels  being  stuck  up  to 
mark  the  spot.  This  precaution  is  necessary,  for  storms  come  suddenly 
and  rage  with  frury  along  these  mountain  crests.  The  first  half  mile  or 
more  is  made  in  quick  time,  then  over  six  or  seven  feet  of  snow  the 
prospector  drags  his  sleigh  to  where  there  is  wood  for  his  camp  fire.  At 
times  this  is  no  easy  task,  especially  if  the  weather  be  stormy,  for  the 


LAKE   BENNETT,  PHOTOGRAPHED  AT  MIDNIGHT. 

winds  blow  the  new  fallen  snow  about  so  as  to  completely  cover  the  track 
made  by  the  man  but  little  ahead;  at  other  times  during  the  flue 
weather  and  with  a  hard  crust  on  the  snow  it  is  only  a  pleasant  run 
from  the  Pass  down  to  the  first  camp  in  the  Yukon  basin.  In  all  except  the 
most  sheltered  situations  the  tent  is  necessary  for  comfort,  and  the  stove 
gives  better  satisfaction  than  the  camp-fire,  as  it  burns  but  little  wood,  !» 
easier  to  cook  over,  and  does  not  poison  the  eyes  with  smoke.  It  is  a 
noticeable  fact  that  there  are  fewer  cases  of  snow  blinduess  among  tho«e 
who  use  stoves  than  among  those  who  crowd  around  a  smoking  camp-fire 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


11 


for  cooking  or  for  warmth.  Comfort  iu  making  a  trip  of  this  kind  will 
depend,  in  a  great  measure,  upon  the  convenieirces  of  camping,  suitable 
clothing,  and  light,  warm  bedding.  Yes,  upon  provisions,  too,  though 
oftimes  more  depends  upon  the  cook  than  what  is  in  the  larder.  The 
necessary  articles  of  food  are  flour,  bacon,  beans,  sugar  and  tea;  ham, 
canned  meats,  rice,  milk,  butter,  dried  fruits  and  coffee  are  usually  taken 
also,  although  some  old  timers  look  upon  them  as  luxuries  only. 

After  the  rest  of  the  outfit  has  been  brought  from  the  summit  the  next 
move  is  to  Lake  Linderman,  about  three  miles  distant.  The  route  now 
lies  seven  miles  across  the  lake  to  its  outlet,  down  the  outlet  three  or  four 
miles  in  a  northeasterly  direction  to  Lake  Bennett.  At  that  point  is  a 
sawmill,  where  boats  are  sold  for  $75  each.  Travelers  who  do  not  care  to 
pay  that  price  can  purchase  lumber  and  build  their  own  boats.  The 
lumber  can  be  bought  for  $100  a  thousand  feet,  and  about  500  feet  are 
required  to  build  a  boat  that  will  answer  the  purpose.  Still  other  travelers 
carry  whipsaws  and  get  out  their  own  lumber,  and  a  man  handy  with  saw 
and  hammer  can  build  a  boat  in  five  or  six  days.  To  continue  the  trip, 
though,  a  boat  is  necessary  and  by  some  means  or  other  one  must  be  had. 


PORTAGES  ON   THE   ROUTE. 

After  securing  his  boat  the  traveler  floats  down  Lake  Bennett  and 
then  has  half  a  mile  of  portage  where  his  boat  has  to  be  moved  on  rollers. 
There  is  any  amount  of  rollers  to  be  had,  though,  for  earlier  beaters  of  the 
path  have  left  them.  This  half  mile  overland  brings  the  traveler  to  Lake 
Tagish,  through  which  he  goes  six  miles  and  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of 
portage  to  Mud  Lake  and  on  to  the  Lewis  river  canyon,  about  forty  miles 
to  the  northwest.  The  course  down  the  lakes  has  been  much  in  the  form 
of  a  horseshoe  and  now  bears  to  the  west  instead  of  the  east. 

Before  reaching  the  canyon,  a  high  cut  bank  of  sand  ou  the  right 
hand  side  give  warning  that  it  is  close  at  hand.  Good  viver  men  have  run 
the  canyon  safely  even  with  loaded  rafts,  but  it  is  much  surer  to  make  a 
landing  on  the  right  side  and  portage  the  outfit  around'  the  canyon  three- 
(juarters  of  a  mile  and  run  the  raft  through  empty.  The  sameness  of  the 
.scenery  on  approaching  the  canyon  is  so  marked  that  many  parties  have 
ijotten  into  the  canyon  before  they  were  aware  of  it.  Below  the  canyon  are 
the  White  Horse  rapids — a  bad  piece  of  water ;  but  the  boat  can  be  lined 
«lown  the  right  hand  side  until  near  the  White  Horse,  three  miles  below. 
This  is  a  box  canyon  about  a  hundred  yards  long,  and  fifty  in  width,  a 
chiitp  through  which  the  water  of  the  river,  which  is  nearly  GOO  feet  wide 
Just  above,  rushes  with  maddening  force.  But  few  have  ever  attempted 
Xu  run  it  and  four  of  them  have  been  drowned.  Of  two  men  who  made  the 
;ittempt  in  May,  '88,  nothing  was  found  save  a  bundle  of  blankets.  Below 
the  White  Horse  the  boat  must  be  brought  and  re-loaded  and  the  journey 
H)ntinued  seventy-five  miles  to  Lake  LeBarge.  This  usually  requires  three 
(lays.     This  lake  is  about  forty-five  miles  long  and  there  is  an  island  about 


12 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


midway.  Going  down  the  Lewis  river,  the  Hootalinqua,  Big  Salmon  and 
Little  Salmon  rivers  are  passed  on  the  right  before  reaching  Five  Fingers. 
Here  four  large  buttes  stand  like  giant  sentinels  of  stone  to  dispute  your 
farther  ingress  into  the  country ;  the  water  in  five  passages,  runs  swiftly 
between ;  the  right  hand  passage  is  the  only  one  which  is  practicable,  and 
though  the  water  is  swift  it  is  safe  if  the  boat  be  kept  in  the  center. 

A  few  moments  of  strong  pulling  and  careful  management  and  the 
boat  is  rapidly  approaching  Reef  i-apids,  three  miles  below.  Here  again 
the  right  hand  side  insures  safety,  and  having  gone  through  them  the 
last  dangerous  water  is  passed.  Next  comes  the  Pelley  river,  and  the 
junction  of  the  Pelley  and  Lewis  form  the  Yukon  proper.  At  this  point 
the  first  trading  post  is  reached,  and  is  five  hundred  and  ten  miles  distant 
from  Juneau. 


THROUGH  THE   ICE  ON   THE    TUKON   RIVER. 

Continuing  the  journey  Stewart  river,  the  Klondyke  and  Dawson 
City  is  passed  on  the  right;  White  river  on  the  left,  so  named  on  account 
of  its  milky  looking  water;  the  next  tributary  on  the  same  side  is  Sixty 
Mile  creek,  so  called  on  account  of  its  being  sixty  miles  above  Fort 
Keliance.  A  hundred  miles  below  on  the  left  side  is  Forty  Mile  creek, 
forty  miles  below  Fort  Reliance.  Here  the  Yukon  is  over  two  miles  in 
width  and  on  the  upper  bank  of  Forty  Mile  creek  is  the  principal  trading 
post  of  the  interior.  This  was  formerly  the  starting  point  for  all  the 
mines  and  is  seven  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Juneau. 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


13 


This  journey  is  made  in  early  spring  by  most  miners  in  order  to  save 
expenses  of  packing,  and  requires  then  from  six  to  eight  weeks,  although 
it  can  be  made  in  summer  from  the  lakes  in  eight  or  ten  days.  Plenty  of 
provisions  should  be  taken,  as  little  if  any  game  is  seen  unless  one  goes 
back  into  the  hills  for  it.  Fish  are  plentiful  and  a  gill  net  should  form  a 
part  of  every  outfit.  The  whitefish  taken  from  the  ice-cofd  waters  of  the 
lakes  are  the  finest  in  the  world.  In  the  spring  gull  eggs  are  abundant  on 
the  small  islands  at  the  foot  of  Lake  LeBarge. 

In  case  you  make  the  trip  in  early  spring  it  is  probable  that  the  open 
water,  suflBcient  for  boating,  would  not  be  found  until  you  arrive  at  the 
foot  of  Mud  Lake.    In  this  case  your  boat  will  have  to  be  built  there. 


PLACER  MINING  LAW. 

[From  the  ReviBed  Statutes  of  the  United  States.] 

The  term  ''placer  claim,"  as  defined  by  the  supreme  court  of  the  United 
States,  is:    "Ground  within  defined  boundaries  which  contains  mineral  in  its 
earth,  sand  or  gravel ;  ground  that  includes  valuable  deposits  not  in  place, 
that  is,  not  fixed  in  rock,  but  which  are  in  a  loose  state,  and  may  in  most* 
cases  be  collected  by  washing  or  amalgamation  without  milling. " 

The  manner  of  locating  placer  mining  claims  differs  from  that  of  locat- 
ing claims  upon  veins  or  lodes.  In  locating  a  vein  or  lode  claim,  the  United 
States  statutes  provide  that  no  claim  shall  extend  more  than  300  feet  on 
each  side  of  the  middle  of  the  vein  at  the  surface;  and  that  no  claim  shall 
be  limited  by  mining  regulations  to  less  than  25  feet  on  each  side  of  the 
middle  of  the  vein  at  the  surface.  In  locating  claims  called  "placers," 
however,  the  law  provides  that  no  location  of  such  claim  upon  surveyed  lands 
shall  include  more  than  twenty  acres  for  each  individual  claimant.  The 
supreme  fourt,  however,  has  held  that  one  individual  can  hold  as  many  lo- 
cations as  he  can  purchase  and  rely  upon  his  possessory  title ;  that  a  sep- 
arate patent  for  each  location  is  unnecessary. 

Locaters,  however,  have  to  show  proof  of  citizenship  or  intention  to 
become  citizens.  This  may  be  done  in  the  case  of  an  individual  by  his  own 
affidavit ;  in  the  case  of  an  association  incorporated  by  a  number  of  indi- 
viduals by  the  affidavit  of  their  authorized  agent,  made  on  his  own  knowl- 
edge or  upon  information  and  belief;  and  in  the  case  of  a  company  organ- 
ized under  the  laws  .  "  any  state  or  territory,  by  the  filing  of  a  certified  copy 
of  the  charter  or  certificate  of  incorporation. 

A  patent  for  any  land  claimed  and  located  may  be  obtained  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner :  "Any  person,  association  or  corporation  authorized  to 
locate  a  claim,  having  claimed  and  located  a  piece  of  land,  and  who  has  or 
have  complied  with  the  terms  of  the  law,  may  file  in  the  proper  land  office 
;ii>  application  for  a  patent  under  oath,  showing  such  compliance,  together 
with  a  plat  and  field  notes  of  the  claim  or  claims  in  common  made  by  or 
under  the  direction  of  the  United  States  surveyor  general,  showing  ac- 


14 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


curately  the  boundaries  of  the  claim  or  claims,  which  shall  be  distinctly 
marked  by  monuments  on  the  ground,  and  shall  post  a  copy  of  such  plat, 
together  with  a  notice  of  such  application  for  a  patent,  in  a  conspicuous 
place  on  the  land  embraced  in  such  plat,  previous  to  the  application  for  a 
patent  on  such  plat ;  and  shall  file  an  affidavit  of  at  least  two  persons  that 
such  notice  has'  been  duly  posted,  and  shall  file  a  copy  of  the  notice  in  such 
land  office ;  and  shall  thereupon  be  entitled  to  a  patent  to  the  land  in  the 
manner  following :  The  registrar  of  said  land  office  upon  the  filing  of  such 
application,  plat,  field  notes,  notices  and  affidavits,  shall  publish  a  notice 
that  such  application  has  been  made,  for  a  period  of  sixty  days,  in  a  news- 
paper to  be  by  him  designated,  as  published  nearest  to  such  claim  ;  and  he 
shall  post  such  notice  in  his  office  for  the  same  period.  The  claimant  at 
the  time  of  filing  such  application  or  at  any  time  thereafter,  within  sixty 
days  of  publication,  shall  file  with  the  registrar  a  certificate  of  the  United 
States  surveyor  general  that  $500  worth  of  labor  has  been  expended  or  im- 
provements made  upon  the  claim  by  himself  or  grantors ;  that  the  plat  is 
correct,  with  such  further  description  by  reference  to  natural  objects  or 
permanent  monuments  as  shall  identify  the  claim  and  furnish  an  accurate 
description  to  be  incorporated  in  the  patent.  At  the  expiration  of  the  sixty 
days  of  publication,  the  claimant  shall  file  his  affidavit  showing  that  the 
plat  and  notice  have  been  posted  in  a  conspicuous  place  on  the  claim  dur- 
ing such  period  of  publication." 

If  no  adverse  claim  shall  have  been  filed  with  the  registrar  of  the  land 
office  at  the  expiration  of  said  sixty  days,*  the  claimant  is  entitled  to  a 
patent  upon  the  payment  to  the  proper  officer  of  $5  per  acre  in  the  case  of 
a  lode  claim,  and  $2.50  per  acre  for  a  placer. 

The  location  of  a  placer  claim  and  keeping  possession  thereof  until  a 
patent  shall  be  issued  are  subject  to  local  laws  and  customs. 


CANADIAN  MINING  REGULATIONS* 

PKINCIPAL  FEATtJRES  OP  THE  STATUTES  WHICH  KLONDYKE  PROS- 
PECTORS Must  Observe. 

In  case  a  person  thinks  of  going  into  the  Yukon  fields  to  prospect  for 
gold,  so  long  as  he  locates  a  claim  in  Canadian  territory  he  must  be  guided 
by  the  mining  laws  of  that  country.  He  must,  therefore,  bear  in  mind  and 
obey  these  regulations,  which  are  the  principal  features  of  the  statute  pro- 
vided for  governing  placer  miners  and  their  locptions  of  property.  Follow- 
ing are  extracts  from  the  Canadian  raining  regulations : 

7.  If  any  person  or  3>erson8  shall  discover  a  new  mine  and. such  dis- 
covery shall  be  established  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Gold  commissioner  a 
claim  for  the  bar  diggings  750  feet  in  length  may  be  granted.  A  new 
stratum  of  auriferous  earth  or  gravel  situated  in  a  locality  where  the  claims 
are  abandoned  shall  for  this  purpose  be  deemed  a  new  mine,  although  the 
same  locality  shall  have  previously  been  worked  at  a  different  level. 

9.    A  claim  shall  be  recorded  with  the  Gold  commissioner  in  whose 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


district  it  is  situated  within  three  days  after  the  location  thereof,  if  it  is 
located  within  ten  miles  of  the  commissioner's  oflBce.  One  day  extra  shall 
be  allowed  for  making  such  record  for  every  additional  ten  miles  and  frac- 
tion thereof. 

11.  Entry  shall  not  be  granted  for  a  claim  which  has  not  been  staked 
by  the  applicant  in  person  in  the  manner  specified  in  these  regulations. 

12.  An  entry  fee  of  $15  shall  be  charged  for  the  first  year  and  an 
annual  fee  of  $10  for  each  of  the  following  years. 

13.  After  recording  a  claim  the  removal  of  any  post  by  the  holder 
thereof,  or  any  person  acting  in  his  behalf,  for  the  purpose  of  changing  the 
boundaries  of  his  claim  shall  act  as  a  forfeiture  of  the  claim. 

14.  The  entry  of  every  holder  for  a  grant  for  placer  mining  must  be 
renewed,  and  his  receipt  relinguished  and  replaced  every  year,  the  entry 
fee  being  paid  each  year. 

15.  No  miner  shall  receive  a  grant  for  more  than  one  mining  claim  in 
the  same  locality,  but  the  same  rjiner  may  hold  any  number  of  claims  by 
purchase,  and  any  number  of  miners  may  unite  to  work  their  claims  in 
common  on  such  terms  as  they  may  arrange,  provided  such  agreement  be 
registered  with  the  Gold  commissioner  and  a  fee  of  $5  paid  for  each 
registration. 

16.  Any  miner  or  miners  may  sell,  mortgage,  or  dispose  of  his  or 
their  claims,  provided  such  disposal  be  registered  with  and  a  fee  of  $5  paid 
to  the  Gold  commissioner,  who  shall  thereupon  give  the  assignee  a  certi- 
ficate of  his  title. 

17.  Every  miner  shall,  during  the  continuanct  of  his  grant,  have  the 
exclusive  right  of  entry  upon  his  own  claim  for  the  miner-like  working 
thereof  and  the  construction  of  a  residence  thereon,  and  shall  be  entitled 
exclusively  to  all  the  proceeds  realized  therefrom,  but  he  shall  have  no 
surface  rights  therein. 

18.  Every  miner  shal)  be  entitled  to  the  use  of  so  much  of  the  water 
naturally  flowing  through  or  past  his  claim,  and  not  already  lawfully 
appropriated,  as  shall,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Gold  commissioner,  be  neces- 
sary for  the  working  thereof,  and  shall  be  entitled  to  drain  his  own  claim 
free  of  charge. 

19.  A  claim  shall  be  deemed  to  be  abandoned  and  open  to  occupntion 
and  entry  by  any  person  when  the  same  shall  have  remained  unworkod  on 
working  days  by  the  grantee  thereof,  or  by  some  person  in  his  behalf,  for 
the  space  of  seventy-two  hours,  unless  sickness  or  other  reasonable  cause 
may  be  shown  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Gold  commissioner,  or  unless  the 
^/antee  is  absent  on  leave  given  by  the  commissioner. 


DOMINION   HOPES  TO  GROW  RICH. 

At  the  close  of  the  second  sitting  of  the  Dominion  Cabinet,  at  Ottawa, 
July  27,  1897,  it  was  announced  that  the  government  had  decided  to  ini- 


16 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


pose  a  royalty  on  all  placer  diggings  on  the  Yukon  in  addition  to  $15  regis-, 
ration  fee  and  $100  annual  assessment. 

The  royalty  will  be  10  per  cent  each  on  claims  with  an  output  of  $500 
or  less  monthly  and  20  per  cent  on  every  claim  yielding  above  that  amount 
yearly. 

Besides  this  royalty  it  has  been  decided  in  regard  to  all  future  claims 
staked  out  on  other  streams  or  rivers  that  every  alternate  claim  should  be 
the  property  of  the  government  and  should  be  reserved  for  public  purposes 
and  sold  or  worke<^  by  the  government  for  the  beneiit  of  the  Dominion. 

ALASKA. 

Formerly  Russian  America ;  a  territory  of  the  United  States^  comprising 
the  northwestern  part  of  America,  purchased  from  Russia  in  1867,  for 
$7,200,000. 

Its  Eastern  boundary  starts  at  latitude  50°  40  N.  in  the  Portland 
Chani^el  to  where  the  56th  meridian  crosses  the  mainland.  From  here  it 
crosses  inland  to  the  summits  of  the  mountains  parallel  to  the  coast,  or 
Lacking  mountains  to  ten  marine  leagues  from  the  coast  northward  to  the 
meridian  141°  West.  From  this  point,  which  proves  to  be  very  near  the 
apex  of  Mount  St.  Elias,  it  passes  northward  to  the  "  frozen  ocean."  The 
western  limit  comes  southward  from  the  "  frozen  ocean "  to  the  middle  of 
the  Bering  Straits,  thence  southwesterly  in  such  a  way  as  to  pass  between 
Attu  (the  most  westerly  of  the  Aleutian  Islands)  and  the  Commander 
Islands  off  Kamchatka.  It  thus  includes  not  only  au  enormous  tract  of 
mainland,  but  Prince  of  Wales  Island,  the  King  George  or  Alexander 
Archipelago  to  the  northward,  the  Kadiak  Islands,  the  Aleutiaos,  Pribyloff 
and  St.  Lawrence  Island  in  Bering  Straits. 

HISTORY. 

The  coast  of  this  part  of  America  was  discovered  by  a  Russian  expedi- 
tion under  Bering  in  1741.  Settlements  were  gradually  made,  and  the 
coast  was  at  one  time  claimed  as  far  South  as  San  Francisco.  In  1799  the 
territory  was  granted  to  a  Russo- American  Fur  Company  by  the  Emperor 
Paul  8th,  and  the  Charter  was  renewed  in  1839.  New  Archangel,  now 
Sitka,  was  the  principal  settlement.  The  privileges  of  the  Company 
expired  in  1863,  and  the  territory  was  purchased  by  the  United  States  in 
1867.  Portions  of  the  territory  were  soon  after  explored  by  the  employees 
of  the  Russo-American  Telegraph  Company  in  surveying  a  route  for  an 
overland  telegraph  line  to  Europe. 

Explorations  of  the  coast  have  since  been  continued  by  the  Coast  and 
Geodetic  Survey.  The  Yukon  has  been  explored  by  Dall  and  Schwatka^ 
and  Mount  Elias  by  several  parties.  In  1884  a  district  government  was 
created  by  Congress,  with  a  governor  and  a  district  court.  The  latter  sits 
alternately  at  Sitka  and  Wraugel.  The  laws  as  those  of  Oregon.  Sitka  is 
the  capitol,  and  has  a  land  oflBce.    The  farming  of  the  Pribyloff  or  Fur 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


17 


Se.al  Islands  in  Bering  Sea  was  at  first  granted  to  the  Alaska  Commercial 
Company  at  a  renting  amounting  to  $300,000  annually.  On  the  expiration 
of  their  lease  in  1890,  the  right  was  acquired  by  the  North  American  Com- 
mercial Company. 

CLIMATE. 

The  climate  of  the  Alaskan  coast  is  much  milder,  even  in  the  higher 
latitudes,  than  it  is  in  the  interior  or  in  corresponding  latitudes  on  t'le 
Atlantic  coast.  This  is  easily  understood  and  explained  when  the  natural 
forces  productive  of  this  milder  temperature  are  contemplated.  The  most 
important  among  them  is  a  thermal  current,  resembling  the  Gulf  stream 
in  the  Atlantic.  This  current,  known  as  the  Jap.anese  or  Kuro  Sino,  has 
its  origin  under  the  Equator  near  the  Kolucca  and  Phiilipine  islands, 
passes  northward  along  the  coast  of  Japan  and  crosses  the  Pacific  to  the 
Southward  of  the  Aleutian  Islands  after  throwing  a  branch  through  Bering 
Sea,  in  the  direction  of  Bering  Strait.  The  main  current  strikes  the  coa.st 
of  British  Columbia,  where  it  divides  again,  one  branch  turning  northward 
toward  Sitka  and  thence  westward  to  the  Kadiah  and  Shunagin  Islands. 
The  comparatively  warm  wateis  of  these  currents  affect  the  temperature  of 
the  superjacent  atmosphere,  which  absorbing  the  latent  heat,  carries  it  to 
the  coast  with  all  its  mollifying  effect.  Thus  the  oceanic  and  the  atmos- 
pheric currents  combine  in  mitigating  the  coast  climate  of  Alaska,  and  this 
process. is  greatly  aided  by  the  configuration  of  the  extreme  northern  shores 
of  the  Pacific,  backed  as  they  are  with  an  almost  impenetrable  barrier  of 
lofty  mountains,  which  holds  back  from  the  interior  the  warm  moist 
atmospheric  currents  coming  in  from  the  ocean,  deflecting  at  the  same 
time  the  ice  laden  northern  gales  from  the  coast  to  the  interior. 


TOPOGRAPHY. 

The  coast  line  of  Alaska  is  greater  than  the  Atlantic  seaboard  of  the 
United  States.  The  chief  inlets  are  Prince  William  Sound  and  Cook  inlet, 
on  the  northern  extension  of  the  Pacific  called  the  bay  of  Alaska.  Bristol 
bay  and  Norton  Sound  on  Bering  Sea ;  and  Kotzebue  Sound  on  the  Artie 
ocean.     Point  Barrow  (lat.  73"  23  N.)  is  the  northermost  point  of  Alaska. 

The  principal  river  is  the  Yukon,  which  rises  in  British  Columbia  less 
than  200  miles  N.  N.  E.  from  Sitka  strikes  the  arc  of  a  circle  more  than 
2,000  miles  long,  and  enters  Bering  sea  on  the  South  side  of  Norton  sound 
through  an  extensive  delta.  At  600  miler  from  the  coast  it  is  ove'-  a  mil« 
wide,  and  the  volume  of  its  water  is  so  great  as  to  freshen  the  water  ten 
miles  off  shore  from  its  principle  mouth.  The  next  largest  river  is  the 
Kuskokwin,  which  rises  on  the  northern  slopes  of  the  Alaskan  range  of 
mountains  to  the  eastward  of  the  meridian  of  150**  west,  and  empties  into 
Koskokwin  Bay.  Bering  sea  is  about  lat.  60*^  north.  The  length  of  coast 
ine  of  Alaska's  mainland  and  islands  is  nearly  four  times  that  of  all  others 


18 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


ports  of  tbe  United  States  combined  as  examplified  in  tbe  subjoined  state- 
ment furniftbed  by  tbe  United  States  Coast  and  Geodetic  survey. 

California  including  Islands 1,280  miles. 

Oregon             "            "       328  " 

Washington     "            "      2,028  " 

Alaska             "           "      26,364  " 

GulfCoast       «'             "      1,810  " 

Atlantic  Coast '*           "      2,043  " 

Total 33,853 

U.  S.  DIRECTOR  OF  MINTS 

DISCUSSES  ALASKA  GOLD   DISCOVEklES. 

Wasbington,  D.  C,  July  23.— Tbe  information  I  bave  myself  received 
confirms  tbe  trutb  of  tbe  telegrams  to  tbe  daily  papers  concerning  tbe 
richness  of  tbe  newly  discovered  gold  field.  I  learn  from  the  San  Francisco 
mint  that  $1,000,000  of  gold  has  been  received  in  that  city  from  the  Klon- 
dyke  district,  and  from  Helena,  Mont.,  that  $200,000  from  tbe  same  source 
has  been  deposited  at  the  United  States  assay  oflice  in  that  city. 

To  question  the  report  of  rich  gold  discoveries  in  the  Klondyke  would 
be  to  question  the  reliability  of  all  the  news  agencies  of  the  United  States 
from  Alaska  to  San  Francisco  and  New  York.  Last  Sunday  all  tbe  papers 
of  tbe  United  States  published  the  intelligence,  based  upon  a  telegram 
from  Port  Townsend,  Wash.,  that  at  3  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  July  17  a 
steamship  from  St.  Michaels  passed  tbe  sound  with  more  than  a  ton  of 
solid  gold  on  board;  that  in  the  Captain's  cabin  there  were  three  chests 
and  a  large  safe  filled  with  the  precious  imggets ;  that  the  metal  was  worth 
nearly  $700,000,  and  that  most  of  it  was  taken  out  of  the  ground  in  less 
than  three  months. 

GAVE  NAME  OF  OWNERS. 

Not  only  this,  but  the  same  telegram  gave  the  names  of  a  number  of 
tbe  happy  owners  of  this  newly  extracted  gold  treasure.  Last  Thursday's 
papers  informed  us  that  among  tbe  sensational  advices  received  at  San 
Francisco  from  St.  Michaels  is  one  that  over  $4,000,000  in  gold  dust,  which 
bad  not  been  included  with  tbe  fortunes  brought  there  by  miners,  will  be 
shipped  through  the  Wells-Fargo  company. 

While  one  may  reasonably  question  whether  there  was  really  and 
exjictiy  a  ton  of  gold  on  board  tbe  steamship  arriving  last  Saturday  and 
whether  there  are  still  four  millions  of  gold  dust  to  be  shipped  from  St. 
Michaels  through  the  Wells-Fargo  company,  of  this  there  can  be  no 
doubt— a  large  amount  of  gold  was  produced  in  tbe  Yukon  and  Klondyke 
districts  during  the  last  winter  and  a  new  gold  field  of  considerable  im- 
portance has  been  discovered  in  that  region. 

Tbe  gold  there  discovered  is  placer  gold,  but  tbe  existence  of  gold  in 
the  sands  of  tbe  Klondyke  points  unmistakably  to  tbe  fact  that  quartz 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


19 


gold  must  exist  in  the  vicinity  of  that  river.  It  is  too  early,  however,  to 
yet  claim  that  the  Elondyke  is  a  new  Eldorado.  That  only  the  future  can 
reveal. 

As  to  the  probable  effect  on  the  gold  production  of  the  United  States 
of  these  discoveries,  so  far  as  the  newly  discovered  gold  has  been  found 
within  United  States  territory  it  will,  of  course,  go  to  increase  the  total 
product  of  the  country  in  1897.  I  do  not  see  how  the  opening  of  the  new 
gold  fields  can  decrease  the  gold  production  of  any  other  of  our  States  or 
Territories.  It  may,  indeed,  attract  some  of  our  prospectors  and  workmen, 
but  there  never  has  been  and  never  will  be  any  lack  of  these  in  the  United 
States.  The  places  of  those  who  actually  leave  the  United  States  will  be 
rapidly  filled.  The  new  gold  mines  are  placer  mines  and  need  compara- 
tively little  capital  to  develop  them.  I  expect,  therefore,  that  for  years 
to  come  the  gold  production  of  the  United  States  will  be  continually 
increasing. 

COMPARED  TO  THE  TRANSVAAL.   . 

The  best  answer  that  can  be  given  to  the  question  how  these  recent 
discoveries  compare  in  results  with  those  of  the  Transvaal  in  its  early  days 
is  that  as  far  as  mere  results  are  concerned  they  are  greater.  There  is 
scarcely  a  possibility,  however,  that  the  production  of  the  newly  discovered 
gold  fields  will  ever  reach  the  figure  of  the  gold  output  of  the  south 
African  republic  in  recent  years. 

No  single  gold  field  ever  reached  it  before,  and  the  chances  are  that 
none  will  ever  reach  it  in  the  future.  It  is  the  unanimous  opinion  of  all 
mining  experts  that  the  wealth  of  the  mines,  especially  of  the  Witwater- 
strand,  is  assured  for  some  decades  at  least,  and  they  have  been  led  to  the 
mines  themselves. 

It  has  been  demonstrated  thsit  the  gold  contents  of  the  Wit  waterstrand 
strata  increase  with  the  depth.  The  diflBculty  that  lay  in  the  fact  that 
the  pyrites  occurring  at  a  certain  depth  could  not  be  treated  has  been 
practically  solved  by  the  successful  application  to  them  of  the  cblorination 
process.  By  the  introduction  of  the  cyanide  process  it  has  become  possible 
to  obtain  almost  the  last  traces  of  the  gold  in  the  tailing,  which  has 
hitherto  been  considered  worthless. 

What  influence  the  production  of  gold  in  the  Klondyke  district,  if  it 
should  prove  to  be  very  large  in  the  next  succeeding  years,  will  have  on 
prices  and  in  the  money  market  it  is  simply  impossible  to  state.  The 
supply  and  production  of  gold  has  doubled  within  the  last  ten  years,  while 
the  demand  for  it  and  the  employment  of  it  in  the  wholesale  trade  has 
been  more  and  more  decreased  by  the  clearing-house  system.  The  largo 
central  banks  of  Europe  have  a  gold  stock  far  greater  than  would  have 
been  supposed  possible  a  decade  ago.  And  although  the  production  of 
gold  has  kept  on  increasing,  it  has  not  been  able  to  stop  the  decline  of  the 
prices  of  commodities. 

This  is  the  Itest  refutation  that  can  be  given  of  the  contention  that 
the  decline  of  prices  has  been  caused  by  the  scarcity  of  gold. 


20 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


MADE  LIKELY   BY  THE   PAST. 

The  history  of  gold  production  in  Alaska  hitherto  would  prepare  the 
mind  for  the  acceptance  of  a  belief  in  the  livelihood  of  further  gold 
discoveries  in  that  region  or  its  proximity. 

Our  accurate  knowledge  of  the  production  of  gold  in  Alaska  date.s 
back  to  1870  at  least.  It  was  known  in  that  year  that  gold  in  limited 
quantities  abounded  in  the  island  of  Kcadiak.  This  gold  occurred  in  veins 
of  quartz  which  yielded  about  $5  per  ton  in  gold  and  silver.  The  mineral- 
ogical  character  of  the  specimens  was  the  same  as  that  of  the  most  pro- 
ductive veins  known.  The  development  of  the  wealth  of  southern  Alaska 
may  be  said  to  have  begun  only  recently. 

The  first  steps  were  taken  by  placer  miners,  who  washed  the  sands  of 
the  stream  and  the  debris  from  the  hillsides.  It  is  not  pop  ile  to  ascer- 
tain accurately  what  amount  of  gold  is  actually  produced  such  work- 
ings, on  account  of  the  number  of  minors  who  carry  away  ai.  .  sell  the  gold 
dust  they  obtain.  Hence  it  is  that  the  figures  given  of  the  production 
of  gold  in  Alaska  since  1880  are  probably  below  the  actual  amount 
extracted.  Professor  Emmons  considers  it  doubtful  whether  this  interior 
country,  where  the  expense  of  transporting  supplies  over  the  mountains 
is  great,  will  ever  become  the  scene  of  systematic  mining. 

ALASKA  MINERAL  BELT. 

The  mineral  belt  of  Alaska  has,  according  to  Professor  Emmons  of  the 
United  States  Geological  Survey,  a  longitudinal  extent  of  about  100  miles 
in  a  northwestern  and  southeastern  direction.  It  is  said  to  bo  only  a  few 
miles  wide. 

The  gold  product  of  Alaska  thus  far  has  been  remarkable  rather  for 
its  regularity  than  its  amount,  and  is,  therefore,  more  favoiable  to  the 
permanency  of  development  of  the  mineral  resources  than  if  it  were  subject 
to  violent  fluctuation. 

Nature  seems  to  have  sprinkled  Alaska  and  all  Asiatic  Russia  with 
gold.  The  latter  region  sends  annually  over  $25,000,000  to  the  mint  at 
St.  Petersburg.  The  production  of  gold  there  is  such  that  the  annual  out- 
put of  the  Russian  empire  would,  it  is  claimed,  exceed  $50,000,000  were  it 
not  for  the  obstacles  put  in  the  way  of  human  industry  by  an  inclement 
climate  and  an  inhospitable  soil. 

The  drawbacks  in  the  Klondyke  district  will  necessarily  partake  of 
the  nature  of  those  in  Asiatic  Russia.  The  severity  of  the  climate  there 
will,  as  in  Siberia,  reduce  the  labor  year  to  about  100  days.  The  sands 
can  only  be  washed  in  summer,  and  the  production  is  thus  reduced  to 
about  one-third  of  what  it  would  be  in  another  latitude. 

R.  E.  Preston. 
Director  of  the  United  States  Mints. 


I'HE  KLOXDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


'Jl 


ADVICES  FROM  A  TRANSPORtATION  COMPANY. 

TlIK   FOLLOWING  IS  A   LETTER   RECEIVED   FROM   THE  NoRTH   AMERICAX 

Transportation  and  Traeino  Company,  July  23,  1897. 

Doiir  Sir:  We  have  had  many  inquiries  the  past  few  days  regardinj? 
Alasiia,  the  Yuicon  country,  and  particularly  the  Klondyke  region  around 
Dawson,  and  having  received  a  letter  of  recent  date  from  you,  wo  reply  to 
you  in  this  form,  giving  possibly  some  details  that  ycui  are  already  familiar 
with,  but  we  will  endeavor  to  cover  all  the  points  that  men  want  to  know 
in  making  a  trip  to  the  country. 

FARE. 

The  fare  on  our  boats  from  Seattle  to  any  point  on  the  Yukon  River  is 
$200,  this  to  include  200  lbs.  of  baggage,  also  meals  and  berth. 

DATE  of  sailing  FROM  SEATTLE. 

Our  steamer  Cleveland,  a  special  boat,  leaves  Seattle  on  or  about 
August  5th,  connecting  with  our  river  steamers.  The  steamer  Portland 
leaves  Seattle  about  August  20th.  We  are  unable  to  carry  any  freight  this 
year,  as  our  freight  room  has  all  been  taken,  and  on  account  of  the  neces- 
sity of  carrying  food  and  supplies  to  the  interior  we  are  obliged  to  limit  our 
I)as8enger8  in  baggage  allowance  as  above  stated,  with  the  exception  of  the 
last  trip  of  the  Portland,  when  passengers  will  be  allowed  200  lbs.  of  food 
eupplies  each  in  addition  to  the  above  baggage  allowance.    Our  reason  for 


STORE  AT  CIRCLE  CITY,  ALASKA,  JAN.  1897. 


22 


THE  KLONDXKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


this  is  that,  owing  to  the  late  date  of  pailing,  we  may  not  be  able  to  land 
passengers  at  Dawson  or  the  upper  river  raining  camps.  If  we  are  unable 
to  complete  the  trip  this  fall,  board  will  be  furnished  at  about  $2.00  per  day 
until  spring,  when  we  will  complete  the  trip  on  the  river  without  extra 
charge  to  those  holding  through  tickets.  On  the  Portland's  last  trip  we 
will  carry  none  but  strong,  able-bodied  men.  It  usually  takes  from  30  to 
35  days  to  make  the  trip  from  Seattle  to  the  gold  fields.  It  is  our  endeavor 
to  run  boats  on  the  river  through  to  Klondyke  region,  but  owing  to  the 
difficulty  of  navigation  and  the  many  possible  obstacles,  including  the 
shortness  of  season,  we  may  be  obliged  to  tie  up  for  the  winter  at  Circle 
City  or  some  point  below  Dawson.  In  this  event  men  will  be  able  to  leave 
the  boat  and  make  the  trip  on  foot.  In  selling  you  a  ticket  we  agree  to 
take  you  as  "ar  ou  the  river  as  possible,  but  of  course  cannot  agree  to  go  to 
Dawson.    The  first  boat  in  the  spring  leaves  Seattle  on  or  about  June  12th. 

BEST  TIMB   FOR  GOING. 

As  to  the  best  time  to  make  the  trip,  we  would  sugge4t  it  would  be 
well  for  a  man  to  winter  theie,  taking  this  time  of  the  year  to  look  around, 
get  acquainted  with  the  country  and  do  what  prospecting  is  necessary 
This  will  put  him  on  the. ground  when  the  season  opens. 

OUTFIT. 

Regarding  the  purchase  of  an  outfit,  what  is  needed,  etc.,  to  provide 
for  your  wants  in  prospecting  and  mining  in  the  country,  our  suggestion  to 
you  is  to  carry  only  your  v;inter  clothing  and  such  things  as  are  needed  on 
the  journey,  and  leave  the  purchase  of  your  outfit  for  use  in  the  interior 
to  be  attended  to  after  your  arrival  on  the  ground.  No  list  could  be  made 
out  that  would  cover  all  your  wants,  and  such  a  list  might  include  many 
things  that  you  did  not  need,  and  as  you  would  have  to  buy  in  a  retail  way 
here  and  transport  your  purchases  to  the  interrior  it  would  cost  you  more 
this  way  than  to  go  to  our  stores  and  purchase  there  just  what  the  experi- 
ence of  our  salesmen  and  your  own  experience  in  the  country  will  teach  is 
needed. 

MINING. 

In  order  to  get  to  the  pay  dirt  in  this  country  it  is  necessary  to  go 
through  about  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  of  snow  and  ice  before  coming  to  the 
gravel  in  which  the  gold  deposits  are  found.  This  is  usually  done  by  build- 
ing fires  and  thawing  your  way  through. 

The  climate  in  this  country  during  the  winter  months  is  extremely 
cold,  the  thermometer  averaging  50  degrees  below  zero.  This,  however, 
does  not  stop  mining,  which  is  carried  on  the  yeai  round. 

DISTANCES.  Miles. 

Seattle  to  St.  Michael's  Island 2,500 

"  St  Michael's  Island  to  Dawson 2,200 

The  recent  stories  coming  from  this  country  are  can.sing  intense  excite- 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


23 


meiit  all  over  the  countn-  and  tbere  is  no  question  that  they  are  founded  on 
tacts.  The  country  is  rich  in  gold,  and  the  possibilities  are  enormous; 
however,  no  man  should  go  there  without  expecting  to  face  great  hard- 
ships and  possible  sufleriiig,  and  should  have  at  least  $500  capital  upon 
arrival  at  his  destination.  You  should  also  figure  on  staying  at  leas  at 
year. 

The  country  is  growing,  and  with  a  river  2,200  miles  long  and  a  popu- 
lation in  the  neighborhood  of  7,000,  it  would  seem  there  is  plenty  of  room 
for  everybody  and  new  discoveries  are  being  made  continually.  If  you 
contemplate  a  trip  to  Alaska,  it  would  be  well  to  engage  your  passage  at 
once,  as  tbe  accommodations  are  limited  and  we  are  receiving  a  great  many 
inquires. 

We  trust  that  the  above  will  answer  some  of  jour  questions  and  that 
if  you  decide  to  go  we  can  serve  you  further. 
•  » ■     ,.  Yours  truly, 

North  American  Transportation  &  Trading  Co. 

DISCOVERY  NINE  MONTHS  OLD. 

So  the  miners  worked,  being  fairly  well  paid  for  their  labor,  until  the 
"  tenderfoot"  made  the  Klondyke  discovery.  That  was  nine  months  or  so 
ayo,  and  the  news  of  it  is  just  reaching  the  outside  world.  It  was  not  long 
in  reaching  the  miners  along  Forty  Mile  and  Birch  creeks,  though,  and 
they  shouldered  their  picks  and  moved  forward  in  a  wild  rush  at  the  first 
w Old  of  the  new  lucky  strike.    As  a  result  gold  dust  and  nuggets  by  the 


CLAIM  NO.  3  ON  MILLER  (  KLEK.  OWNED  BY  JOSEPH  BEACDKEAU. 


u 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


ton  are  turned  into  the  mints  out  on  the  coast,  and  men  who  never  before 
rose  above  the  level  of  the  commonest  of  miners  have  come  back  to  civil- 
ization and  comfort  loaded  with  gold  to  last  them  a  lifetime.  Take  as  an 
iilliistration  this  list  of  returned  miners  who  came  cu  the  Excelsior: 


Brought 
from  Alaska, 

T.  S.  Lippy $  65,000 

r.  G.  H.  Bowker 90,000 

Joe  La  Due 10,000 

J.J.  Holliuseed 25,500 

William  Kulju 17,000 

James  McMann; 15,000 

Albert  Galbraith 15,OoO 

Neil  Macartbur 45,000 

Douglas  Macarthur ]  5,000 

Bernard  Anderson 14,000 

Robert  Anderson 14,000 

Fred  Lendesser 13,000 

Alexander  Orr 1 1,500 

John  Marks 11,500 

Thomas  Cook 10,000 

M.  S.  Norcross 10,000 

J.   Enimerger 10.000 

Con  Stamatiu 8,250 

Albert  Fox. 5,100 

Greg  .Stewart 5,000 

J.  O.  Hestwond 5,000 

Thomas  Flack 5,000 

Louis  B.  Rhoads 5,000 

Fred  Price 5,000 

Alaska  Commercial  Company 250,000 


Value  of 
Claims. 

$  1,000,000 
500,600 


35,000 
20,000 


25,000 


35,000 
20,000 
250,000 
50,000 
35,000 
20,000 


Total $399,850  

A   PERILOUS  JOURNEY. 

Every  one  of  the.se  men  has  a  story  to  tell  of  the  vast  riches  of  the  new 
gold  fields,  but  they  tell  another  story,  too — a  story  of  hardship,  trial  and 
suffering  through  long  winter  days,  when  tho  sun  wassmiling  on  the  earth's 
other  polo  and  leavi'ur  them  in  miserable  cold  and  darkness.  They  toll  a 
story  of  prodigious  .lavels,  of  staggering  Journeys  and  tho  dangers  that 
beset  the  traveler.  They  tell  what  a  trip  it  is  to  reach  tho  gold  fields,  and 
when  they  got  through  the  faint-hoarted  prospector,  who  isn't  tlioioughly 
convinced  that  he  wants  to  undergo  the  trial,  decides  to  forego  the  trip  to 
Alaska  and  dig  up  his  wealth  at  home  or  go  without.  Some  of  the  gold- 
mad  adventurers,  though,  rush  on  uniioodlng,  crowding  into  tho  Alaska- 
bound  stpiunors  without  anytliing  like   enough  supplies  or  enough  money 


ore 

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THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS.  25 

to  see  them   through  ten  days  of  travel  ou  land.    Miners  who  have  been 
there  say  that  such  as  these  will  perish. 

DAWSON  CITY. 

The  center  of  the  new  mining  region,  although  sixty-five  miles  distant 
from  the  Klondyke,  is  said  to  be  a  typical  mining  camp— minus  the  guns. 
The  British  government  enforces  its  laws  in  Dawson,  and  those  laws  pro- 
hibit the  use  of  firearms,  so  few  men  carry  guns.  The  laws  of  the  camp 
are  enforced  by  mounted  police,  whose  captain  is  a  civil  officer.  Though 
there  are  said  to  be  3,000  people  in  Dawson,  few  houses  have  been  built, 
for  the  principal  reason  that  lumber  is  $100  per  1,000  feet.  The  generiil 
fear  is,  of  course,  that  there  will  be  great  suflering  there  this  winter,  and 
it  will  be  increased,  it  is  expected,  by  the  rush  of  unprepared  prospectors 
who  sailed  for  the  new  fields  immediately  on  learning  what  luck  had  be- 
fallen those  who  have  but  recently  returned. 

To  give  an  accurate  idea  of  the  cost  of  living  in  Dawson  City,  the  price 
list  of  a  general  store  there  is  herewith  given: 

Flour,  per  100  lbs , ......$12.00 

Moose  ham,  per  lb 1_00 

€aribou  meat,  per  lb 65 

Beans,  per  lb 10 

Rice,  per  lb 25 

Sugar,  per  lb 25 

Bacon,  per  lb 40 

Eggs,  per  dozen 1.50 

Better  eggs,  per  dozen 2.00 

Salmon,  each $1  to    1.50 

Potatoes,  per  lb 25 

Turnips,  per  lb 15 

Tea,  per  lb l.OO 

Coflee,  per  lb 50 

Dried  fruits,  per  lb 25 

banned  fruits 50 

f'anned   moats 75 

Lemons,  each oq 

i      Oranges,  each 50 

Tobacco,  per  lb 1.50 

Liquors,  per  drink 50 

Shovels 2.50 

•'iPl^s 5.00 

Coiil  oil,  per  gallon 1.00 

Overalls 1  50 

rnderwear.  per  suit ^5  to  7.50 

•'*li"«'s 500 

Rubber  boots ^10  t„  15.00 


26 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


TOOLS. 

About  the  only  tools  considered  absolutely  necessary  in  the  placers  are  a 
pick,  shovel  and  gold  pan.  It  is  nearly  always  desirable  but  not  always 
possible  to  have  a  sluice.  This  sometimes  is  very  primitive,  ft  may  be 
only  a  gully  bottomed  with  cobblestones,  or  poles  lying  lenghwise,  or  it  may 
be  a  long  line  of  plank  troughing,  with  riffles  or  cleats  at  intervals  across 
the  bottom.  In  either  case  the  gold-bearing  dirt  or  gravel  is  thrown  In 
while  water  is  running  through  the  sluice.  The  current  is  supposed  to 
carry  away  the  worthless  rocks  and  dirt,  allowing  the  gold  to  settle  into 
the  crevices  or  against  the  riffles  at  the  bottom.  If  the  gold  is  in  finely 
divided  particles  the  sluice  is  made  tight  and  quicksilver  is  placed  above 
the  riflSes,  which  envelops  and  holds  the  gold  dust.  No  two  mines  are 
exactly  alike,  and  the  manner  of  working  them  has  to  be  varied  to  suit 
the  circumstances. 


DAWSOX  CITY. 


OUTPUT  OF  ALASKA  MINES  IN  1896. 

It  Is  well  in  considering  the  wealth  of  the  yellow  metal  in  Alaska  to 
take  into  account  a  few  figures  uninfluenced  by  the  present  excitement. 
Perhaps  none  more  reliable  are  to  be  had  than  tho.sc  furnished  by  the 
Alaska  Mining  Record,  in  its  summary  of  the  business  of  last  year.  The 
following  extract  shows  the  output : 

"  The  output  of  the  mines  of  Alaska  is  dittieult  of  estimation.  The 
vastness  of  the  mining  territory,  the  extremely  niigriiti»ry  characteristic  of 
its  population  sind  the  entire  absence  of  reports  and  statistics  from  a  great 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS.  27 

part  of  the  smaller  camps  reuder  it  difficult  to  arrive  at  a  statement  approx- 
imating correctness  except  by  careful  study  and  watchful  attention  to 
every  detail.  The  following  estimate  is  the  result  of  just  such  work,  and  is 
believed  to  be  as  nearly  correct  as  is  possible,  and  still  represent,  fully  yet 
conservatively,  the  production  of  gold  in  Alaska  during  1896: 

Total  output  of  quartz  mines $2,355,000 

Lituya  Bay  placer  mines 15,000 

Cook  Inlet  placer  mines 175,000 

Birch  Creek  district,  Yukon  mines 1,300,000 

Other  Yukon  districts 800,000 

From  several  small  creeks  In  various  parts  of  the  ter- 
ritory, worked  by  arrastas 25,000 

Total  output $4,670,000 

BIG  OUTPUT  FOR  1897. 

"  This  is  an  increase  over  1895  of  $1,670,000.  At  the  same  time  the 
number  of  new  discoveries  which  promise  well  has  been  great.  These  will 
be  more  or  less  productive  during  the  next  year,  and  a  corresponding 
increase  is  assured.  Two  new  mills  of  ten  stamps  each  have  been  erected 
during  the  past  year,  and  sixty-five  stamps  have  been  added  to  mills 
already  operating,  bringing  the  number  of  stamps  now  dropping  in  Alaska 
to  549.  of  which  all  but  ninety-four  are  in  continuous  operation,  these  latter 
being  closed  down  by  climatic  severities  during  the  winter  season.  As 
development  is  carried  forward,  however,  steps  are  taken  to  overcome  this 
and  it  is  but  a  question  of  a  short  time  when  all  our  mines  will  rum  regard- 
less of  climate  or  season.  It  is  quite  likely  that  during  the  coming  summer 
no  less  than  250  stamps  will  be  added  to  the  present  number. " 

RICHNESS  OF  THE  NEW  FIELD. 

(Special  Correspondence.) 

Dawson  City,  N.  W.  Ter.,  June  18.— This  newly  established  town  of 
shacks  and  log  cabins,  situated  on  the  Klondyke  river  where  it  empties 
into  the  Yukon,  promises  to  be  one  of  the  chief  placer  gold-mining  camps 
of  the  world. 

Fourteen  miles  from  Dawson  City,  twelve  miles  up  Bonanza  creek, 
which  empties  into  the  Klondyke  River  one  and  one-haif  miles  from  the 
Yukon,  gold  was  discovered  by  "  Siwash"  George  Carmack  and  his  two 
Indian  brothers-in-law  last  August.  The  credit  for  the  discovery  really 
belongs  to  the  Indians.  A  stampede  from  Circle  City,  Forty  Mile  and 
other  camps  was  the  result  of  this  find,  but  few  had  much  faith  in  the  new 
region  eve.n  after  they  were  on  the  ground,  and  in  spite  of  the  rich 
prospects  on  the  surface  it  was  generally  regarded  as  a  "grub-stake" 
strike  on  which  one  might  succeed  in  getting  a  ^  jiter  outfit.  A  little  later, 
however,  the  prospects  found  on  the  river  called  forth  the  half-skeptica 
remark  that  "  if  is  goes  down  it  is  the  greatest  thing  on  earth."    Then  al 


28 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


few  began  to  believe  in  tlie  new  diggings,  but  many  old  miners  even  yet 
would  not  stake  out  claims,  thinking  the  creek  too  wide  for  gold.  A 
number  of  side  gulches  along  the  Bonanza  were  staked,  among  them  El 
Dorado,  which  was  rich  in  gravel  near  the  mouth.  But  so  little  faith  was 
manifested  in  the  region  that  claim  holders  could  not  get  '*  grub"  from  the 
stores  in  exchange  for  their  prospects.  There  was  a  general  fear  that 
these  might  be  only  "  skim  diggings." 

PAY  DIRT  AT  EL   DORADO. 

In  December  bed  rock  was  reached  on  No.  14  El  Dorado  and  fabul- 
ously rich  pay  dirt  was  found.  Then  more  holes  went  down  in  a  hurry. 
Everywhere  were  discovered  prospects  on  bed  rock  ranging  from  $5  to  $150 
to  the  pan.  The  gold  was  nearly  all  coarse.  Still  the  greatness  of  the 
strike  was  riot  realized.  Some  of  the  best  claims  wer-  sold  by  their  owners 
for  a  few  hundred  or  a  few  thousands.  Drifting  was  carried  on  by  the  usual 
winter  process  of  "  burning, "  and  the  pay  dirt  taken  out  as  rapidly  as 
possible  under  the  diflSculties  of  intense  cold.  Pans  as  rich  as  $500  were 
discovered,  and  nuggets  containing  gold  worth  as  high  as  $235  were 
l)rought  to  light.  Claims  jumped  up  enormously  in  price,  but  still  many 
men  sold  for  a  small  part  of  the  value  of  their  holdings.  They  seemed 
wholly  unable  to  realize  their  good  fortune.  Doubts  were  still  expressed 
about  the  dumps  holding  out  to  the  prospects. 

Then  the  test — sluciug — came  in  the  spring  when  the  ice  melted  and 
the  water  ran  down  from  the  hills.  Then  the  wildest  hopes  of  the  toiling 
miners  were  realized.  Despite  the  lateness  of  commencing  work  and  the 
scarcity  of  men  about  $1,500,000  was  taken  out  of  El  Dorado  alone.  On 
some  of  the  richer  claims  men  who  secured  ground  to  work  on  shares — 50 
per  cent.— cleared  $5,000  to  $10,000  apiece  in  from  thirty  days'  to  two 
months'  drifting.  As  high  as  $150,000  was  drifted  out  of  one  claim,  the 
other  sums  being  less.  Fiom  seventy-five  feet  of  ground  on  Xos.  25  and 
26,  El  Dorado,  $112,000  was  taken,  or  $1,500  per  running  foot,  and  the 
pay  not  cross-cut,  for  it  frequently  runs  from  vein  to  vein,  being  in  places 
150  feet  wide. 

BIG  PRICES  FOR  EL  DORADO  CLAIMS. 

Ground  has  sold  here  this  spring  for  over  $1,000  a  running  foot,  or  at 
the  rate  of  $500,000  for  a  claim  of  50  feet.  Men  on  whose  judgment 
reliance  can  be  placed  and  who  base  their  opinion  on  what  their  own 
ground  and  that  of  others  has  yielded,  toll  me  that  there  are  claims  here 
from  which  over  $1,000,000  will  come.  Last  winter  men  on  "  lays  "  (per- 
centage) left  50-cent  dirt  because  they  had  better  in  sight  and  only  a 
limited  time  before  spring  to  get  out  ore.  Owing  to  ihe  large  number  of 
men  on  "  lays  "  the  production  of  almost  every  claim  is  known,  and  no 
overstatement  is  possible,  since  so  many  are  interested  in  the  amount  of 
gold  produced.  As  soon  as  sluicing  was  fairly  under  way  the  price  of 
claims  jumped  again  and  but  few  would  .sell.     It  might  alnio,t  be  said  that 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


29^ 


no  one  would  part  with  a  claim  on  El  Dorado.  On  Bonanza,  where  the 
pay,  except  on  a  few  claims,  is  not  as  rich  as  on  El  Dorado,  owners  who 
had  looked  in  vain  for  the  $5,  $10  and  $150  pans,  which  were  plentiful  on 
the  rival  creek,  were  disj,'usted  with  their  moderate  gains  and  were  willing 
to  sell.  Thus  many  claims  having  20  to  50  cent  dirt  and  three  to  seven 
feet  of  it  were  sold.  On  the  boat  which  takes  this  letter  down  the  Yukon 
will  be  many  men,  some  of  them  having  been  in  this  country  only  a  few 
months  when  the  strike  was  made,  who  will  tsike  with  them  to  the  mint 
from  $10,000  to  $500,000,  the  result  either  of  working  the  ground  or  of  sell- 
ing out.  The  men  who  sold  were  paid  almost  entirely  out  of  their  own 
ground,  the  men  who  bought  taking  the  dumps  and  these,  when  sluiced, 
paying  for  the  claims  and  having  a  handsome  margin  for  the  purchasers. 
In  some  instances  enough  gold  was  rocked  out  to  make  a  first  payment  on 
the  claims  before  sluicing  was  possible.  Many  of  these  men,  to  my  personal 
knowledge,  had  neither  money  nor  credit  to  get  "  grub  "  last  fall. 

PRESENT  DANGERS  OF  THE  TRIP. 

But  those  chances  are  of  the  past ;  let  no  one  imagine  that  they  still 
exist.  Claims  are  held  by  their  owners  now  up  in  the  hundreds  of  thous- 
ands, and  those  of  the  less  desirable  quality  are  dear  in  proportion.  To 
get  a  bargain  in  a  claim  is  impossible  at  this  stage  of  the  fever  here.  One 
might  as  well  stand  on  State  street  now  and  think  of  getting  the  Palmer 
house  lot  at  a  low  rate,  because  at  some  time  in  the  past  it  was  sold  for  a  song 
The  value  of  claims  is  now  clearly  known.  Most  of  them  have  passed  into 
second  hands,  the  present  owners  paying  for  them  in  many  cases  $20,000, 
$30,000  or  $50,000,  and  holding  and  working  thent  as  straight  business 
propositions.  That  there  will  be  other  finds  of  gold  in  other  creeks  is  likely, 
but  as  El  Dorado  is  one  of  those  strikes  that  are  made  only  once  in  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  it  is  extremely  unlikely  that  another  will  be  found  in  this  region. 
As  the  capacity  of  the  river  steamers  is  limited,  and  is  likely  to  be  taxed  to 
the  utmost  this  year  to  supply  the  necessities  of  those  now  here,  or  already 
coming  in,  with  the  rigors  of  the  arctic  winter  before  them,  and  no 
provisions,  and  after  Septeiyber  no  way  of  getting  out  where  they  may  be 
had,  those  thinking  of  coming  here,  attracted  by  the  marvelous  richness  of 
the  strike,  cannot  be  too  strongly  cautioned  against  making  the  attempt 
this  season.    They  gain  nothing,  and  may  sufi'er  much. 

GOLD  ON  THE   KLONDYKE   RIVER.  ' 

The  Klondyke  is  a  stream  emptying  into  the  Yukon,  eighty  miles 
above  the  boundary  line  of  Alaska,  in  the  British  northwest  territory.  It 
is  supposed  to  be  about  125  miles  long,  heading  in  the  Rockies,  and  is  a 
rapid  river  running  in  a  northerly  direction.  Bon.iDza  creek,  coming  in 
one  and  one-h.ilf  miles  up  from  the  mouth,  is  twenty-five  miles  long,  and 
heads  at  the  Dome,  a  big  bold  hill,,  as  db  a  number  of  lesser  creeks.  It 
runs  southwesterly.  El  Dorado  comes  in  twelve  miles  up,  and  is  seven 
miles  long,  running  in  the  same  general  direction  as  does  Bonanza.    The 


30 


THE  KLONDTKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


pay  on  Bonanza  is  good  from  the  60s'  below  the  point  of  discovery ,  where 
one  claim  has  20  and  25  cent  dirt,  with  the  pay  125  feet  wide,  up  to  forty- 
three  above,  claim  No.  41  being  very  rich.  Gold  on  Bonanza  is  finer  than 
that  on  El  Dorado.  There  is  not  a  blank  up  to  No.  38,  and  there  are  some 
good  claims  above  that  number.  The  richest  claims  are  In  the  middle  of 
the  gulch,  the  gold  there  being  coarse,  with  lots  of  nuggets.  This,  with  the 
tractions  of  claims,  makes  nearly  twenty  miles  of  paying  ground. 

PROSPECTS  IN  THE  SIDE  GULCHES. 

In  addition  there  are  a  number  of  side  gulches  on  which  good  pros- 
pects have  been  discovered.  Bonanza  district,  it  is  estimated,  is  likely  to 
produce  not  less  than  $50,000,000  in  gold,  and  this  is  believed  to  be  an 
underestimate  than  otherwise.  Hunker  creek  empties  into  the  Elondyke 
twelve  miles  up  and  is  twenty  miles  long.  In  places  $2  and  $3  to  the  pan 
on  bedrock  have  been  found,  and  the  indications  are  that  it  will  prove  a 


PLACER  MINERS  IN  THE   KLONDYKE   DISTRICT. 

rich-paying  creek.  Gold  Bottom,  a  fork,  and  Last  Chance,  a  side  gulch, 
show  up  equally  well  for  a  considerable  distance.  These  comprise,  with 
Bear  Creek,  which  comes  into  the  Elondyke  between  Bonanza  and  Hunker, 
the  extent  of  territory  of  which  anything  certain  is  known.  Quartz  creek 
and  Indian  creek  are  reached  from  the  heads  of  Bonanza  and  Hunker  and 
they  have  also  some  prospects.  The  country  rock  is  slate  and  raioa  schist. 
Many  of  the  nuggets  are  full  of  quartz.    Iron  rock  is  found  with  them,  and 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


31 


pieces  of  stratified  rock  containing  iron  are  found  showing  plainly  on  their 
sides  the  matrices  of  gold  nuggets.  Some  fair  gold-bearing  quartz  has 
been  discovered,  but  no  rich,  free  gold-bearing  rock  in  place.  The  mnioral 
belt  seems  to  run  northeast  and  southwest,  if  one  may  judge  from  the 
creeks,  and  to  be  about  ten  miles  wide.  It  seems  to  parallel  the  main 
range  of  mountains  about  100  miles  distant  from  it. 

WAGES  AND  COST  OF   LIVING. 

There  are  both  summer  and  winter  diggings  on  all  the  creeks,  as  some 
of  the  claims  are  capable  of  both  drifted  and  sluiced.  Some  summer  drift- 
ing is  also  done.  Wages,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  men  last  winter,  wer#» 
•$15  a  day  at  diggings,  but  they  are-  likely  to  fall  very  soon.  The  price  of 
flour  at  Dawson  City  last  winter  was  $1  a  pound,  and  this  spring  the  trad- 
ing companies  advanced  their  prices  in  some  cases  50  per  cent.  Canned 
meats  were  sold  at  75  cents  a  can.  Meals  were  charged  for  at  the  rate  of 
$1.50  apiece.  Whisky  was  the  same  old  price — 50  cents  a  drink.  Lumber, 
when  it  can  be  had,  is  $130  a  thousand  feet.  The  price  of  sawing  at  the 
mills  is  $100  a  thousand  feet,  the  logs  being  furnished  by  the  purchaser. 
Heds  or  lodgings  are  not  to  be  had.  If  you  can't  find  a  place  in  some  tent 
where  you  may  sleep  you  may  try  the  saloon  floor,  of  which  places  there 
are  a  number.  Good  riverfront  lots  in  the  center  of  the  town  may  be  pur- 
chased at  from  $3,000  to  $5,000  each.  These  same  lots  sold  last  fall  at  $5 
a  i»iece. 

The  richness  and  extent  of  the  diggings  are  such  that  if  they  were  ia 
any  place  less  inaccessible  than  this,  doubtless  the  stampede  to  them 
would  be  tremendous,  but  a  great  influx  of  gold-hunters  at  this  time  would 
be  a  calamity.  The  Canadian  government  has  sent  in  another  detachment 
of  police  and  also  a  Judge  and  a  gold  commissioner,  who,  with  the  customs 
officer,  constitute  the  governing  force.  Owing  to  the  impossibility  of 
t'scape  from  the  country  such  of  the  criminal  element  as  has  come  in  thus 
far  is  very  quiet  and  peaceable.  Outside  of  a  little  stealing  of  provisions 
and  similar  petty  oflenses  there  is  no  crime.  There  are  but  a  few  places 
where  supplies  can  be  had  in  all  this  vast  country,  and  any  offender  is 
certain  therefore  of  being  caught  and  punished.  Though  gold  has  been 
sitting  around  in  the  cabins  for  months  in  lard  pails,  baking-powder  cans, 
old  boot  legs  and  buckets,  no  thefts  have  been  committed. 

NEED  OF  OUTSIDE   COMMUNICATIONS. 

What  the  country  needs  above  all  things  is  communication  with  the 
outside  world.  If  the  government  at  Washington  would  make  some 
ai  rangement  whereby  the  Canadians  could  get  a  port  of  entry  t  n  the  dis- 
jnitod  part  of  the  coast  it  would  be  a  great  boon  to  Alaska  as  well  as  to 
this  part  of  the  Northwest  territory.  Most  of  the  men  who  "  hit  it  "  are 
Anieiicans,  whose  gold  will  go  to  San  Francisco  and  the  United  States. 
Because  of  the  lack  of  adequate  communication  with  the  civilized  world 
the  miners  are  in  constant  fear  lest  supplies  should  give  out.  Many  articles 


32 


THE  KLONDTKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


can  be  had,  but  for  a  limited  time  after  the  arrival  of  a  steamer,  and  those 
who  are  not  fortunate  enough  to  get  a  supply  at  that  time  must  do  without 
for  weeks  and  months,  no  matter  how  much  gold  they  may  have  to  make 
purchases  with.  The  scarcity  may  be  one  of  provisions,  window  sashes 
or  gum  boots,  but  always  there  is  a  scarcity  here  of  some  important 
article.  Generally  there  is  never  enough  of  anything,  and  only  the  open- 
ing up  of  communication  with  the  coast  by  some  other  route  than  the 
mouth  of  the  Yukon  offers  any  prospect  of  adequate  relief.  If  the  Cana- 
dians had  a  port  of  entry  they  would  have  commerce  coming  down  the 
river  from  the  direction  of  Juneau,  and  the  country  would  not  be  dependent 
upon  the  scanty  supplies  coming  1,900  miles  up  the  Yukon  from  Bering  sea. 

William  D.  Jones. 


KLONDYKE  OR  BUST. 

This  is  the  sentiment  which  now  animates  a  goodly  number  of  the 
American  people.  The  wild  days  of  '49,  when  men  staked  their  lives  on 
the  hazard  of  reaching  the  gold  fields  of  California,  are  being  duplicated  in 
the  Alaskan  excitement  of  1897.  Stories  of  bonanza  placer  deposits  of  the 
precious  metal  along  the  tributaries  of  the  upper  Yukon  River  have  given 
thousands  of  people  a  consuming  desire  to  get  to  that  far-off  arctic  region  as 
si)eedily  as  possible  antl  secure  a  share  of  the  gold  which,  if  reports  be  true, 
is  to  be  easily  obtained  there  in  unlimited  quantities. 

This  country  has  been  seized  with  the  gold  fever  many  times  in  the  last 
fifty  years,  but  never  since  the  yellow  particles  were  first  found  in  the 
Sacramento  Valley  has  there  been  any  such  widespread  interest  as  is  now 
displayed  over  the  Yukon  discoveries.  Men,  and  even  women,  talk  of  little 
else.  In  nearly  every  city  parties  are  being  organized  to  invade  the  Kiou- 
dyke  district.  Experienced  miners  who  have  spent  years  in  Alaska  advise 
them  that  the  road  is  beset  with  hardships,  that  cold  and  hunger  atid 
probably  death  awaits  many  of  those  who  go  there  at  this  season  of  thu 
year,  but  this  friendly  counsel  has  no  effect  in  stemming  the  rusli. 

It  is  less  than  ten  days  ago  that  corroborative  evidence  of  the  richness 
of  the  new  fields  was  received  in  Seattle  in  the  shape  of  $2,000,000  worth  of 
gold  dust,  and  now  the  cry  of  "  Klondyke  or  bust"  is  raised  in  all  parts  of 
the  land.  There  is  nothing  like  the  sight  of  gold  to  incite  a  desire  for  the 
possession  of  it.  People  will  read  with  calmness  of  rich  discoveries  in 
various  section  of  the  world  as  long  as  the  actualproduct  itself  is  not  handed 
out  for  inspection,  but  when  the  nuggets  and  dust  are  passed  around  tlie 
craze  strikes  in  deep  and  lasting. 

This  is  the  secret  of  the  present  Klondyke  excitement.  For  years  it 
has  been  known  there  was  gold  in  the  Yukon  country,  but  it  was  not  until 
an  immense  lot  of  it  was  brought  back  by  successful  prospectors  that  the 
people  generally  were  seized  with  the  determination  to  get  some  of  it.    ■ 

TOUGH   PLACE  IX  THE  WINTER. 

There  are  but  few  sane  men  who  would  deliberately  set  out  to  make  an 


THE  KLONDYKE  (JOLD  FIELDS. 


33 


arctic  trip  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  and  yet  this  is  exactly  what  those  who  now 
start  for  the  Klondyke  are  now  doing.  Experienced  arctic  voyagers,  the 
hardy  men  who  have  conducted  exploring  expeditions  in  the  frozen  north, 
invariably  begin  operations  in  the  spring,  aiming  to  get  within  the  arctic 
circle  about  the  time  summer  opens  and  the  extreme  rigors  of  cold  are 
somewhat  abated. 

In  no  other  way  can  they  hope  to  accomplish  anything  of  value. 
Going  to  the  Klondyke  is  to  all  practical  purposes  making  a  trip  into  the 
arctic  circle.  Klondyke  is  the  name  given  to  a  stream  which  empties  into 
the  Yukon  from  the  British  side  of  the  imaginary  line  which  at  the  14l8t 
meridian  divides  Alaska  from  the  possessions  of  Great  Britain.  For  eight 
months  in  the  year  the  entire  country  is  held  tight  in  the  grip  of  icy  winter, 
the  temperature  raging  from  70**  to  90«»  below  zero.  Last  winter  the 
maximum  of  cold  was  70''  below,  and  the  old-timers  refer  to  it  as  an 
unusually  mild  season.  The  ground  freezes  solid  to  a  depth  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet,  rivers  and  creeks  are  clasped  in  unbreakable  bonds  of  ice, 
while  on  every  side  fields  of  snow  eovt-r  the  ground. 

It  is  a  bleak,  barren,  mountainous  land,  deserted  even  by  wild  animals 
of  all  kinds  save  when  a  hungry  polar  bear,  attracted  by  the  smell  of  hu- 
man habitation,  makes  an  occasional  predatory  incursion  in  search  of  an 
Indian  or  a  white  prospector  for  dinner.  Winter  begins  about  the  middle 
of  September  and  lasts  until  late  in  May.  In  all  these  eight  months  the 
only  sources  of  food  supplies  are  the  salmon  in  the  ice-bound  rivers  and  the 
stocks  of  the  trading  companies'  stores.  To  get  the  first  requires  danger- 
ous exposure  in  the  extreme  cold ;  possession  of  the  latter  can  be  had  only 
on  a  cash  basis,  and  even  with  plenty  of  money  or  gold  dust  it  is  sometimes 
difficult  to  get  enough  to  eat,  as  the  storekeepers  have  to  deal  out  provisions 
sparingly  to  guard  against  a  shortage  before  the  new  supplies  arrive  in  the 
spring. 

It  is  in  the  four  months  of  so-called  summer,  a  season  of  melting  snows, 
floods,  and  mud,  that  the  denizens  of  northern  Alaska  do  their  work — so 
far  as  it  consists  of  labor  on  the  surface  of  the  ground. 

WHERE  THE  GOLD  IS  FOUND. 

Is  there  gold  in  the  Yukon  country?  This  is  the  question  which  out- 
weighs all  others  in  the  minds  of  those  suffering  from  the  gold  craze. 
Making  due  allowance  for  wild  exaggerations,  which  will  attach  to  every 
new  field  of  this  nature,  it  may  be  safely  said  there  are  rich  placer  deposits 
on  nearly  all  the  streams  that  empty  into  the  Yukon  and  at  the  head  waters 
of  the  main  river  itself.  No  quartz  has  been  found  as  yet,  and  this  leads 
old  miners  to  doubt  the  permanency  of  the  present  finds,  which  they  refer  to 
as  "  pockets. " 

Just  at  present  the  biggest  yields  are  obtained  in  the  Klondyke  dis- 
trict, but  quantities  of  gold  have  been  taken  out  in  other  parts  of  the 
Yukon  country.  In  hunting  for  gold,  prospectors  dig  a  hole  down  to  bed 
rock,  which  is  generally  found  at  a  depth  of  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  feet. 


34 


THE  KLOXDYKK  GOLD  FIELDS. 


The  first  twelve  feet  or  so  of  earth  is  non -auriferous.  Under  it  lies  a  strata 
of  coarse  gravel  three  feet  or  more  in  thickness  which  isrich  in  the  precious 
metal,  most  of  it  being  in  the  shape  of  small  nuggets  or  grains.  It  is 
called  "  dust,"  but  it  is  much  coarser  than  the  dust  found  in  other  parts  of 
the  world.  Some  of  it  is  so  largo  that  a  big  percentage  can  be  picked  out 
by  hand  as  the  gravel  is  brought  up  out  of  the  hole,  but  the  general  prac- 
tice is  to  sluice  or  pan  wash  it. 

The  feeble  suns  of  the  short  summer  do  not  thaw  out  the  frozen  ground 
to  its  full  depth,  and  it  has  to  be  softened  by  building  huge  fires,  which  are 
kept  going  night  and  day  until  the  earth  is  in  such  shape  that  the  miners 
can  force  their  way  through  it  with  picks.  This  done,  a  number  of  holes 
are  dug  on  each  claim,  but  even  then  when  the  gold  gravel  is  taken  out  it 
is  in  frozen  chunks  resembling  small  masses  of  concrete.  By  making  these 
holes  in  the  summer  the  miners  are  enabled  to  work  underground  a  por- 
tion of  the  winter  and  thus  prepare  for  an  early  wash-up  when  the  spring 
thaw  comes  in  June.  To  take  advantage  of  this  the  gravel  which  has 
been  dug  out  during  the  winter  has  to  be  again  softened  with  Are  before  it 
can  be  put  through  the  sluices  or  pans  and  the  gold  separated. 


WONDERFUL    RICHNESS    OF    GOLD    DEPOSITS. 

Wonderful  tales  are  told  of  the  great  richness  of  the  Yukon  placers. 
More  than  one  man  reports  having  obtained  $1,000  from  a  single  pan  wash- 
ing, while  reports  of  yields  of  $500  and  $600  to  the  pan  are  numerous. 
An  ordinary  pan  of  gravel  will  weigh  twenty-five  pounds  and  a  yield  of 
$1,000  worth  of  gold  means  sixty-two  ounces,  or  nearly  one-sixth  of  the 
entire  bulk  in  precious  metal.  TLi3  average  is  said  to  be  $50  to  the  pan 
and  this  is  phenomenal  when  it  h  taVvm  into  consideration  that  the  Cali- 
fornia pan  washer  was  well  plea-sed  vith  a  uniform  product  of  $3  to  a  wash- 
ing and  could  make  money  will,  a  yield  running  as  low  as  50  cents.  With 
thi^  kind  of  field  to  work  it  is  small  wonder  that  claim  holders  gladly  pay 
$15  a  day  for  common  labor  and  ar  j  unable  to  get  anything  like  a  fair  sup- 
ply at  that.     It  is  only  men  who  are  "  broke"  that  will  work  for  wages. 

The  country  is  large,  gold-bearing  gravel  is  found  on  nearly  every 
creek,  and  every  man  who  has  provisions  enough  to  carry  him  through  the 
■winter  is  mining  on  his  own  account.  There  are  many  unlucky  ones,  how- 
ever, who  cannot  find  a  pay  streak  for  themselves,  and  these  have  to  starve 
or  work  for  a  pittance  of  $15  a  day  with  others  taking  out  gold  by  the 
}>ouud  all  around  them.  They  are  the  same  kind  of  individuals  who  sit  all 
day  on  the  pier  unable  to  catch  a  puny  perch,  while  their  companions  haul 
out  fine  bass  by  the  score.  Prospecting  for  gold  is  a  curious  lottery.  One 
man,  skilled  in  the. business  and  eager  to  make  a  rich  strike,  will  carefully 
search  over  a  strip  of  country  without  finding  a  trace  of  color.  Along  will 
come  a  tenderfoot  who  doesn't  know  gold  when  he  sees  it.  He  will  scratch 
away  in  the  most  unlikely  of  places,  to  the  amusement  of  the  wise  ones, 
and  finally  uneaith  a  deposit  of  fabulous  richness. 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


im 


This  is  as  strangely  true  of  the  Yukon  country  to-day  a«  it  was  of 
California  in  '49.  The  fact  is,  gold  appears  unexpectedly  in  so  many  vary- 
ing forms  that  even  the  best  of  exports  are  frequently  deceived.  The 
richest  deposits  in  the  Klondyke  lie  next  to  the  bedrock  and  are  inky  black 
in  color.  The  gravel  over  these  contains  bright  yellow,  dull  yellow,  and 
reddish-hued  gold.  These  latter  forms  are  easily  recognized,  but  the  black 
deposit  is  one  that  might  be  readily  overlooked  were  it  not  that  word  of  its 
true  nature  he%  gone  forth  through  all  the  country. 

GOLD  BROUGHT  BY  GLACIERS.       . 

Where  the  gold  in  the  Yukon  Valley  comes  from  is  a  conundrum  for 
geolor^'sts.  The  peculiar  character  of  the  deposit,  buried  next  to  bedrock 
under  many  feet  of  more  recently  formed  earth,  and  mixed  with  a  gravel 
which  is  now  found  only  far  under  ground,  give  plausibility  to  the  theory 
that  it  was  carried  there  ages  ago  by  some  monster  glacier. 

If  this  idea  is  correct  the  gold  now  being  dug  must  have  been  ground 
from  some  fabulously  rich  mother  lode  l)y  the  attrition  of  the  ice.  All  over 
that  region  there  are  undeniable  marks  of  glacial  action.  Valleys  have 
been  hewn  through  rocks  which  date  far  back  in  the  world's  formation  ac- 
cording to  geological  chronology.  Bowlders,  smoothed  and  rounded  by 
being  rolled  onward  before  an  irresistible  presfure,  are  found  hundreds  of 
miles  away  from  the  spot  in  which  they  were  originally  placed  by  the  work- 
ings of  nature.  The  very  gravel  which  carries  the  gold  is  unlike  any 
gravel  to  be  met  with  above  ground  and  wherever  the  bed  rock  has  been 
uncovered  it  shows  plain  marks  of  the  grinding  process  to  which  it  has 
been  subjected. 

Along  the  valleys  the  sides  of  the  rocky  walls  are  creased  in  a  manner 
which,  to  the  practical  observer,  tells  plainly  of  the  force  that  did  the 
wonderful  work.  It  is  along  the  creeks  now  running  in  these  glacial  formed 
vjilleys  that  the  richest  gold  deposits  have  been  discovered.  There  is  no 
sign  of  volcanic  action,  no  commingling  of  the  gold  with  other  metals,  as 
is  common  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  It  is  simply  pure  native  gold, 
ground  off  from  some  huge  block  of  the  same  material  from  a  "  mother 
lode, "  as  the  miners  call  it.  Where  is  this  mother  lode/  Who  knows? 
The  course  of  the  glacier  was  from  the  north.  Perhaps  the  great  source  of 
gold  supply  lies  in  that  direction;  perhaps  ii  has  been  entirely  ground 
away  by  the  glacier,  and  its  remnants  are  those  now  being  garnered  by  the 
hardy  prospectors  of  the  Yukon.  If  the  lode  is  still  in  existence,  ai  many 
good  authorities  believe,  the  man  who  finds  it  will  have  wealth  at  his  com- 
mand beside  which  the  riches  of  the  Astors  and  Vanderbiits  will  be 
infinitesimal. 

ROUTES  TO   THE   KLONDYKE. 

Klondyke  can  be  reached  by  two  routes,  both  beginning  at  Seattle^ 
Wash.  There  the  traveler  may  take  a  steamer  for  a  3,000-mile  ocean  voy- 
age to  St.  Michaels  Island,  and  then  make  a  2,600-mile  journey  up  the 


36 


TBE  KLONDIKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


Yukon,  or  he  may  go  by  steamer  to  Juneau  and  from  there  climb  over  600 
miles  of  rough  mountains.  The  Yukon  route  is  the  one  most  in  favor  as 
being  invested  with  the  minimum  of  hardship,  but  it  is  only  open  during 
the  short  four-month  summer.  It  is  a  forty-day  journey  from  Seattle  to  the 
new  gold  fields  by  water.  Leaving  Puget  Sound  the  steamer  sails  out  to 
the  northwest  across  the  Pacific  Ocean  to  the  Aleutian  Islands,  between 
which  a  channel  leads  into  Bering  Sea.  Safe  in  these  latter  waters  the 
steamer  is  put  on  a  direct  northerly  course  to  St.  Michaels  Island,  which 
lies  on  the  far  western  noast  of  Alaska  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yukon  river. 
Theic  a,  iiiiuster  is  made  to  a  light-draft  river  boat  and  in  this  the  rest  of 
the  voyage  to  Dawson.  Circle  City,  or  Fort  Cudahy  is  made.  This  cost  of 
assage  from  Seattle,  provisio'is  included,  is  $165.  Up  to  this  time  there 
have  been  two  boats  in  this  Yukon  river  service,  each  of  which  makes  one 
round  trip  during  the  summer.  The  first  boat  up  in  the  spring  reaches 
Circles  City  towsvrd  the  end  of  June,  and  the  last  one  leaves  there  early  in 
September  on  the  return  trip  to  St.  Michael!?  Island.  Between  the  coming 
of  these  boats  there  is  no  communication  with  the  outside  world  except  by 
dog  sledge  over  the  mountains.  The  trip  of  2,600  miles  to  St.  Michaels 
Island  can  be  made  by  dog  sledge  over  the  frozen  river,  but  at  that  point 
the  voyager  would  be  but  little  better  ofiF  than  he  was  at  Circle  City  or 
Klondyke,  as  the  ocean  steamers  only  run  in  connection  with  the  Yukon 
river  boats.  The  last  steamer  for  this  season  left  Seattle  for  St.  Michaels 
Island,  Thursday  of  last  week  and,  if  there  is  no  uuforseen  delay,  its 
passengers  will  be  landed  in  Dawson  City,  which  is  the  tented  metropolis 
of  Klondyke,  about  September  1. 

TRANSPORTATION  AND   FOOD  StJPPLIES. 

Hitherto  the  traffic  by  water  has  been  solely  in  the  hands  of  the  North 
American  Transportation  and  Trading  Company,  a  Chicago  corporation  in 
which  such  men  as  P.  B.  Weare  and  Michael  and  John  Cudahy  are  interested. 
The  company  owns  the  boats  which  are  used  in  the  traflic  and  also  the 
stores  along  the  Yukon.  Transportation  of  passengers  and  supplies  is  a 
profitable  feature,  but  its  principal  purpose  is  the  sale  of  provisions  and  the 
transaction  of  a  general  commercial  business.  Like  all  similar  enterprises 
in  a  new  country  it  has  practically  a  monopoly.  The  company  wil.  carry 
a  passenger  with  150  pounds  of  baggage  from  Seattle  to  the  head  waters 
of  the  Yukon  for  $165,  and  give  him  ail  he  wants  to  eat  on  the  way,  but  it 
will  not  permit  him  to  carry  a  store  of  provisions  for  use  after  he  gets  there. 
Food  supplies  must  be  procured  from  the  company's  agent.  These  can  be 
bought  on  the  Yukon  or  contracted  for  in  advance.  In  the  former  instance 
it  will  be  a  matter  of  getting  what  is  in  stock  and  paying  such  prices  as  are 
nifide  possible  by  a  rush  of  customers.  If  the  contract  is  made  the  traveler 
pays  down  the  lump  sum  of  $400  and  the  company  guarantees  to  feed  him 
for  a  year.  The  great  danger  that  now  fiices  people  in  the  Klondyke  is  a 
scarcity  of  provisions.  Everything  in  the  way  of  supplies  that  is  possible 
to  get  there  this  year  is  now  on  the  road.     With  the  stocks  now  in  store 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


37 


10.000  people  can  be  fed  this  winter.  There  are  nearly  that  many  now  on 
the  ground  and  the  number  is  increasing  rijjht  along.  With  ^S.OOO  mouths 
to  feed  it  is  certain  to  be  a  case  of  short  rations  at  the  best,  and  a  swelling 
of  the  population  to  20,000  means  starvation  for  some  of  them.  An  effort 
is  being  made  to  get  cattle  and  sheep  into  the  country  by  driving  them 
through  the  mountain  passes  from  Juneau,  but  the  journey  is  exhausting 
and  dangerous.  Such  live  stock  as  can  be  landed  in  Dawson  City  in 
eatable  condition  will  readily  bring  $1  a  pound.  The  principal  food  used 
now  is  bacon,  beans  and  flour,  with  condensed  milk  and  a  few  canned 
goods.     Fresh  milk,  butter  and  eggs  are  unknown  quantities. 

OVER  THE   MOUNTAIN  TRAILS. 

There  are  three  paths  over  the  mountains  from  Junean  to  the  upper 
Yukon.  These  are  known  as  the  Chilkoot,  the  Chiikat  and  White  Pass. 
The  former  has  been  generally  used,  but  the  latter  is  now  coming  into 
favor  as  the  shortest  and  most  favorable.  Prospectors  can  get  from  Seattle 
to  Juneau  by  steamer  for  $15,  but  after  reaching  the  latter  port  their 
expenses  will  be  heavy.    It  is  a  trip  of  600  miles  through  mour'iius 


•■/•'if 


C?i^«i 


TRADIKG   I'OiST   AT   FORT   SELKIRK,    ALASKA. 

covered  with  snow  and  subject  to  sudden  storms  of  terrible  violence. 
Supplies  must  be  transported  by  dog  sledge  or  packed  on  small  ponies,  the 
former  being  preferable.  To  get  any  kind  of  an  outfit  requires  a  large 
expenditure  of  money,  and  besides  this  Indian  guides  and  porters  must  be 
well  paid  for  accompanying  the  e.ipeditions.  In  addition  to  the  animal 
loads  every  man  carries  from  fifty  tr,  sixty  pounds  of  provisi(ms  and  tools  on 
his  back,  ,  d  when  tliis  is  packed  along  for  our  weeks,  up  and  down  steep 
hills  and  over  rude  trails  in  ice  and  snow,  the  task  isheiculenn  in  its  nature. 
The  Indians  charge  $1  a  pound  for  carrying  loads  through  the  fords,  and 
on  every  side   there  is  a  chance  to  spend  money  fast.     American  tiaf.ers 


38 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


are  now  making  an  experiment  by  way  of  the  White  Pass,  through  which 
they  think  the  trip  from  Juneau  ic  Dawson  City  can  be  made  in  two 
weeks.  For  some  unknown  reason  this  pass  has  been  overlooked  by  most 
ot"  the  people  crowding  into  the  Yukon  country  overland,  and  the  thousands 
who  were  unable  to  get  passage  by  the  last  boat  to  St.  Michael's  Island  are 
going  through  the  Chilkoot  trail.  There  is  one  advantage  in  the  overland 
route,  and  that  is  the  traveler  may  carry  anything  in  the  way  of  provisions 
he  wishes  to,  providing  he  does  not  run  afoul  of  the  Canadian  custom 
authorities.  Canadians  are  much  worried  over  the  fact  that,  while  the 
richest  deposits  are  on  the  Canadian  side  of  the  line,  nearly  all  the  mine's 
are  Americans,  and  they  buy  their  supplies  from  American  merchants,  tl  j 
giving  the  country  no  revenue.  To  remedy  this  it  is  proposed  to  vigorousij 
enforce  the  collection  of  custom  duties  by  means  of  a  private  company,  to 
which  the  privilege  will  be  leased,  and  in  this  way  either  secure  a  big 
tribute  in  cash  or  compel  the  purchase  of  goods  from  Canadian  merchants. 

OUTFIT  NECESSARr   FOR  PROSPECTORS 

Equipment  for  mining  in  Northern  Alaska  is  an  important  item  but 
little  understood  by  amateur  prospectors.  Many  laughable  things  are 
seen  in  the  outfits  of  those  who  assemble  in  Seattle  to  take  boat  for 
St.  Michael's  or  Juneau,  and  some  shrewd  but  unkind  traders  have  found 
it  a  favorab".«  time  for  working  off  odds  and  ends  which  have  been 
accumulating  in  stock  for  years.  Your  old-timer  takes  as  simple  an  outfit 
as  he  can — heavy  woolen  underware,  course  trousers  and  pea  jacket,  stout 
shoes,  blue  flaunel  shirts,  dark  blankets,  and  a  black  sweater,  the  latter 
being  chosen  on  account  of  economy  in  washing.  His  tools  will  be  a  pickax 
and  long-handled  spade,  while  a  few  tin  pans  and  dishes  will  comprise  his 
camp  equipage.  A  good  repeating  rifle  is  always  handy,  but  not  an 
essential.  The  tenderfoot  goes  loaded  down  with  an  arsenal  of  firearms, 
a  camping  kit  for  which  he  can  have  no  possible  use,  and  clothing  more 
suitable  for  tending  store  in  Georgia  than  mining  in  the  wilds  of  Alaska. 
Half  of  his  useless  truck  has  to  be  abandoned  on  the  road,  and  if  he  reaches 
the  Kloudyke  with  a  quarter  of  his  original  load  he  is  in  luck.  The  first 
thing  to  be  done  in  every  instance  on  reaching  the  Eldorado  is  to  get  a 
shelter  of  some  kind.  In  the  summer  a  heav  y  tent  with  a  board  or  well 
packed  earth  floor  will  answer,  but  in  the  winter,  .rith  the  mercury  down 
to  70  or  80  degrees  below  zero,  nothing  but  a  substantial  lug  cabin  with  a 
roaring  fire  will  keep  out  the  cold,  and  oven  then  there  will  l)e  times  when 
the  occupant  will  wish  he  had  more  blankets.  It  is  a  struggle  to  sustain 
life  in  a  northern  Alaskan  winter,  and  the  conditions  must  be  favorable, 
with  plenty  of  food,  clothing  and  fuel,  if  a  healthy  vitality  is  to  lie  retained. 
It  is  foolhardy  to  attempt  the  trip  in  the  fall  of  tl..;  yep:  F.veii  .v-lowing 
that  the  dangers  of  the  mountain  trail  can  be  overome,  V':.:^-.  i  the 
further  emergency  of  short  food  supplies  to  be  met  on  arriv.T'  a^  Dawson. 
The  best  time  to  start  is  in  the  early  spring,  when  the  jof'.rney  can  be  made 
bv  boat. 


I 


THE  KLOXDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


39 


PERMANEN'CY   AND  OTHER  CONDITIONS. 

Will  the  gold  last  f  Placer  mining  is  au  uncertain  quantity.  Deposits 
which  bid  fair  at  the  outset  to  last  for  years  frequently  pinch  out  suddenly 
when  least  expected.  The  Yukon  field  is  discribed  as  inexhaustible,  but 
tlie  same  thing  has  been  said  of  placers  in  California,  Oregon,  Idaho  and 
Kootenai,  but  they  were  all  worked  out  in  time,  and  some  of  them  in 
pretty  short  time  at  that.  So  far  as  can  be  judged  from  the  Klondyke 
reports  there  is  a  good  chance  that  this  new  field  may  prove  more  per- 
manent than  others  to  which  people  have  crowded  in  search  of  fortune 
before,  but  it  is  all  a  lottery.  Precautions  are  being  taken  to  prevent 
'*  hogging"  and  to  give  all  comers  a  fair  show.  The  mining  laws  on  both 
sides  of  the  line  are  being  rigidly  administered.  Claims  are  limited  in 
size  and  number,  must  be  properly  staked  out,  and  record  ot  ownership 
filed  I'beiP  are  no  provisions  for  preserving  the  peace,  and  thus  far  none 
is  necessary.  The  miners  are  orderly,  and  there  are  no  shooting  scrapes  or 
drunkenness.  What  may  arise  should  the  deposits  suddenly  pinch  out,  or 
the  Canadian  authorities  make  a  determined  eflbrt  to  collect  tribute,  can 
only  be  guessed  at.  Little  danger  is  apprehended  from  this  source,  how- 
ever, as  the  Americans  hold  the  roads  which  lead  into  the  Klondyke,  and 
it  is  impossible  to  reach  the  mining  country  without  making  use  of  these 
highways.  Even  in  the  case  of  the  White  Pass,  which  is  on  British  soil 
entrance  must  be  made  from  United  States  territory  by  way  of  Juneau,  and 
it  would  be  easy  to  place  a  retaliatory  embargo  on  foreigners  trying  to  get 
into  the  gold  fields. 

There  are  serious  drawbacks  to  the  northern  Eldorado  aside  from  the 
bitterness  of  its  hmg,  icy  winters.  One  is  the  scarcity  of  natural  food  pro- 
ducts. Nothing  can  be  grown  there;  everything  for  all  time  to  come  must 
be  imported  at  a  high  cost.  Another  handicap  is  the  lack  of  woman's 
society.  In  the  rush  to  California  in  '49  men  took  their  wives  and  sweet- 
hearts with  them  in  many  instances,  and  as  the  climate  and  agricultural 
conditions  were  good  it  was  not  long  before  permanent  settlements  were 
made  and  the  nucleus  of  what  is  now  a  great  State  was  started.  In  Alaska, 
aside  from  one  or  two  daring  tourists,  no  white  women  of  refinement  have 
been  seen,  and  few  will  care  to  brave  the  hardships  of  life  there.  The 
miners'  sole  companions  are  greasy,  blubber-eating  Indians,  and  the  more 
intelligent  dogs  which  serve  as  beasts  of  bniden.  But  there  is  gold  there, 
and  day  and  night,  in  all  parts  of  civilized  America,  there  goes  up  the  cry 
of  "  Klondvke  or  bust." 

WEATHER  IN  ALASKA. 

STATEMENT     OF    CHIEF    MOOKE— ONLY     FOLK     HOURS     OF     DAVLIC.HT   IN 

WINTER. 

Wasbinoton,  Aug.  2— Under  the  direction  of  Secretary  of  Agricul- 
ture Wilson,  Chief  Moore  of  the  weather  bureau  has  made  public  a  state- 
ment in  regard  to  the  climate  of  Alaska.    In  this  statement  Mr.  Moore  says: 


40 


THE  KLONDTKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


The  cliraatea  of  the  coast  and  interior  of  Alaska  are  unlike  in  many 
respects,  and  the  diflereuces  are  intensiflod  in  this,  as  perhaps  a  few  other 
countries,  by  exceptional  physical  conditions.  The  fringe  of  islands  that 
separates  the  mainland  from  the  Pacific  Ocean,  from  Dixon  Sound  north, 
and  also  a  strip  of  the  mainland  for  possibly  twenty  miles  back  from  the 
sea,  following  the  sweep  of  the  coast  as  it  curves  to  the  northwestward  to 
the  western  extremity  of  Alaska,  from  a  distinct  climatic  division  which 
may  be  termed  fi'Tvoerate  Alaska.  The  temperature  rarely  falls  to  zero; 
winter  does  not  tt  '  il  December  1,  and  by  the  last  of  May  the  snow 
has  disappeared  ex_  i  the  mountains.    The  mean  winter  temperature 

of  Sitka  is  32.5,  but  lit      iess  than  that  of  Washington,  D.  C. 

The  rainfall  of  temperate  Alaska  is  notorious  the  world  over,  not  only 
as  regerds  the  quantity,  but  also  as  to  the  manner  of  its  falling,  viz.,  in 
long  and  incessant  rains  and  drizzles.  Cloud  and  fog  naturally  abound, 
there  being  on  an  average  but  sixty  clear  days  in  the  year. 

North  of  the  Aleutian  Islands  the  coast  climate  becomes  more  rigorous 
in  winter,  but  in  summer  the  difference  is  much  less  marked. 

The  climate  of  the  interior,  including  in  that  dosignation  practically 
all  of  the  country  except  a  narrow  fringe  of  coastal  margin  and  the  territory 
before  referred  to  as  temperate  Ala'^ka,  is  one  of  the  extreme  rigor  in  winter, 
with  a  brief  but  relatively  hot  summer,  especially  when  the  sky  is  free 
from  cloud. 

NATURE'S  HOARDED  TREASURES. 

[Prom  tbe  Alaska  Mininit  Record,  1R9T.] 

The  very  small  portion  of  Alaska  which  has  thus  far  been  prospected 
for  quartz,  lies  entirely  along  the  southeastern  coast  and  never  more  than 
three  miles  from  navigable  tide  water.  Hack  of  this  very  narrow  strip  the 
vast  region  is  a  veritable  terra  incognita  so  far  as  its  leads,  lodes  and 
ledges  are  concerned.  True,  the  miner  has  penetrated  the  far  interior, 
and  auriferous  rock  has  l)een  found  there,  but  it  has  invariably  been  passed 
by  as  being  an  impracticable  proposition,  yet,  there  it  lies,  awaiting  only 
the  process  of  development  to  add  its  golden  riches  to  the  treasure  of  the 
world,  while  the  prospector,  searching  only  for  the  nuggets  and  coarse 
dust  which  he  may  at  once  carry  with  him  out  of  the  wilderness,  has  paid 
no  attention  to  that  which  may  not  be  readily  gathered,  or  observing  it, 
has  given  it  no  heed  in  his  quest  for  the  immediately  profitable  placer 
ground.  The  utter  absence  of  roads  and  trails,  and  the  great  difficulty  to 
be  found  b'.iilding  them  through  the  wild  mountain  fastness  and  dense 
vegetation  of  their  rugged  sides,  has  confined  the  operations  of  the  quartz 
prospector  and  hence  of  his  successor,  the  developing  purchaser,  to  that 
very  limited  strip  which  lies  within  easy  access  to  tide  water. 

This  strip,  however,  has  already  entirely  fulfilled  the  most  sanguine 
expectations,  has  developed  properties  from  which  gold  is  being  taken  in 
surprising  amount.^,  lie  tracts  whereon  the  foot  of  the  prospector  has  never 
trodden;  hills  and  mountains  which  can  but  be  rich  in  the  precious  ores, 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


41 


yet  awaiting  the  patient  and  intelligent  search  which  has  been  often  richly 
rewarded  and  which  shall  meet  further  and  greater  reward  whenever  and 
wherever  upon  this  coast  it  shall  be  diligently  prosecuted,  and  when 
development  shall  expose  the  hidden  riches  of  this  treasure  house  of 
Nature.  This  strip  includes  also  the  thousands  of  islands  which  line  the 
coast,  and  upon  them  are  located  many  of  the  richest  of  the  developed 
properties  as  well  as  many  of  the  most  promising  prospects  in  Alaska, 
many  of  which  aid  being  looked  up  and  bonded  by  capitalists  with  a  view 
to  investment. 

THE  YEARLY  OUTPUT  OF  GOLD. 

The  output  of  the  mines  of  Alaska  is  difficult  of  estimation.  The 
vastness  of  the  mifting  territory,  the  extremely  migratory  characteristic  of 
its  population  and  the  entire  absence  of  reports  and  statistics  from  a  great 
part  of  the  smaller  camps  render  it  a  very  difficult  matter  to  aiTive  at  a 
statement  approximating  correctness  except  by  careful  study  and  watchful 
attention  to  every  detail.  The  following  estimate  is  the  result  of  just  such 
work,  and  is  believed  to  be  as  nearly  correct  as  is  possible  and  still 
represent  fully,  yet  conservatively,  the  production  of  gold  in  Alaska 
during  1896: 

Nowell  Gold  Mining  Company,  35  stamps $   160,000 

Berner's  Bay  Mining  and  Milling  Company,  40  stamps..      125,000 
Alaska  Treadwell  Gold  Mining  Company,  240  stamps  . .     800,000 

Alaska  Mexican  Gold  Mining  Company,  120  stamps 450,000 

Alaska  Commercial  Company,  40  stamps 500,000 

Bald  Eagle  Mining  Company,  4  stamps 200,000 

Ebner  Gold  Mining  Company,  10  stamps 35,000 

Juneau  Gold  Mining  Company,  30  stamps 35,000 

Julian  Gold  Mining  Company,  10  stamps 20,000 

Alaska  Willoughby  Gold  Mining  Company,  10  stamps. .       15,0'X) 
Green  mine,  Norton  Sound,  10  stamps 15,000 

Total  output  of  quartz  mines $2,355,000 

Lituya  bay  placer  mines 15,000 

Cook  Inlet  placer  mines 175,000 

Birclk  creek  district,  Yukon  mines 1,300,000 

Other  Yukon  districts 800,000 

From    several    small    creeks  in  various  parts   of  the 

territory,  worked  by  arrastres 25,000 

Total  output $4,670,000 

This  is  an  increase  over  1895  of  $1,670,000.  At  the  same  time  the 
number  of  new  discoveries  which  promise  well,  has  been  great.  These  will 
be  more  or  less  productive  during  the  next  year  and  a  corresponding 
increase  is  assured.  Two  new  mills  of  ten  stamps  have  been  auil^^d  to 
mills  alre.idy  operating,  bringing  the  number  of  stamps  now  dropping  in 
Alaska  to  549,  of  which  all  but  94  are  in  continuous  operation,  these  latter 


42 


THE  KLONDTKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


being  closed  down  by  climatic  severities  during  the  winter  season.  As 
development  is  carried  forward,  liowever,  steps  are  taken  to  overcome  this, 
and  it  is  but  a  question  of  a  short  time  when  all  our  mills  will  run  regardless 
of  climate  or  season.  It  is  quite  likely  that  during  the  coming  summer  no 
less  than  250  stamps  will  be  added  to  the  present  number,  of  which  200 
will  be  put  upon  the  Ready  Bullion  property  by  the  Treadwell  Company. 

The  mining  population  has  wonderfully  increased  during  1896,  and  the 
present  year  opens  with  promise  of  unprecedented  immigration.  Over 
11,000  people  came  to  Alaska  last  year  and  of  those  who  took  their 
departure  at  the  approach  of  winter  a  great  number  have  expressed  their 
intention  lo  return.  These,  with  the  number  who  will  visit  Alaska  for  the 
first  time  in  the  spring,  will  swell  the  number  to  a  total  far  beyond  that  of 
any  previous  season.  The  great  majority  will  come  to  seek  fortune  in  the 
mines  and  if  properly  distributed  throughout  the  country  will  advance  its 
development  greatly.  The  great  area  of  Alaska  will  afford  profitable  fields 
for  an  incalculable  number,  but  the  danger  of  overcrowding  a  particular 
district  should  not  be  underestimated.  Last  season's  rush  to  the  Inlet  may 
be  taken  as  a  complete  demonstration  of  this  fact.  While  in  Alaska  there 
is  ample  prospecting  ground  for  thousands  more  than  will  ever  undertake 
its  occupancy  it  cannot  be  expected  all  can  prosper  within  the  bounds  of 
any  district.  There  '^  little  ground  in  Southeastern  Alaska  which  will  not 
repay  careful  prospecting.  All  the  choice  spots  have  by  no  means  been 
found  or  located,  nor  do  they  lie  within  the  confines  of  any  section,  but  are 
liberally  scattered  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  vast  domain 
of  the  great  Northwest.  Here  as  throughout  the  mining  regions  of  the 
world,  careful  work  reaps  the  richest  reward  and  thorough  search  over  a 
reasonably  limited  space  is  worth  years  of  almost  aimless  wanderings, 
looking  for  fortunes  in  nuggets  already  panned  out  and  awaiting  only  the 
picking  up.  Mining  is  a  business  which  can  be  more  advantageously 
carried  on  in  Alaska  than  in  many  more  favored  places  but  it  must  be 
prosecuted  intelligently  or  failure  is  certain.  The  bitter  disappointments 
of  the  past  should  prove  a  fund  of  instruction  to  those  who  contemplate 
coming  to  Alaska;  but  to  the  practical  and  experienced  miner  or 
prospector  there  need  come  no  fear  that  his  coming  will  be  in  vain. 

DOUGLAS  ISLAND. 

Foremost  in  every  respect  among  the  developed  properties  of  Alaska 
is  that  of  the  Alaska  Treadwell  Gold  Mining  Company,  located  on  Douglas 
Island,  two  and  one-half  miles  from  Juneau,  on  the  other  side  of  Gastineau 
Channel.  So  much  has  been  written  of  this  famous  mine  that  only  the 
briefest  description  will  be  necessfiry  here.  In  January,  1882,  prospectors 
crossed  the  channel  from  Juneau,  found  "  pay  dirt  "  on  the  beach,  and  in 
March  following  commenced  washing  for  gold  on  the  ground  now  known 
as  Ready  Bullion.  The  first  three  days'  cleanup  yielded  twenty-seven 
ounces  of  gold,  which  created  great  excitement.  In  further  washing  the 
bed  rock  upon  this  discovery  the  great  Trefidwell  lodge  was  exposed.    It 


THE  KLONDFKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


43 


was  located  as  a  quartz  claim  and  called  the  Paris.  Nothing  toward 
development  was  done  until  the  property  was  acquired,  in  1882,  by  John 
Treadwell,  for  the  sum  of  $400.  A  five-stamp  mill  was  erected  and 
prospecting  developed  a  ledge  400  feet  from  wall  to  wall.  In  1883  a  mill 
of  120  stamps  was  erected  and  in  1888  its  capacity  was  doubled,  making 
it  a  240-stamp  mill,  the  largest  in  the  world  under  one  roof  at  the  present 
day.  The  stamps  weigh  850  pounds  each,  with  a  seven-inch  drop,  ninety- 
six  strokes  per  minute,  the  capacity  of  the  mill  being  about  750  tons  daily. 
In  1890  the  chloriuation  works  were  erected  and  improvements  and 
additions  have  been  added  at  v  irious  times  since,  the  plant  standing  today 
by  far  the  best  and  most  complete  extant.  Additional  ground  was  acquired 
to  the  extent  of  5,000  feet,  including  the  Ready  Bullion,  Mexican  and 
Golden  Chariot  claims.  The  Mexican  mill  of  sixty  stamps  was  built  and 
last  year  increased  to  120  stamps,  the  plant  being  connected  by  railway 
with  the  Treadwell  chlorination  works.  On  the  Ready  Bullion  claim 
development  work  has  been  extensively  prosecuted  during  the  past  year. 

The  last  annual  report  of  the  Treadwell  shows  that  during  the  year 
ending  May  31,  1896,  263,670  tons  of  ore  were  mined  and  milled  at  a  cost, 
including  the  chlorination  of  4,397  tons  of  sulphuretes,  of  $1.10  per  ton, 
with  a  bullion  yield  of  $2.96  per  ton  of  ore  mined.  All  costs  of  construc- 
tion, maintenance,  office  expenses,  freight,  insurance,  and  the  like,  are 
charged  as  operating  expenses.  The  Treadwell  has  paid  $3,025,000  in 
dividends. 

The  Mexican  mill  is  a  model  and  for  convenience  and  economy  in  pro- 
duction and  hadling  of  ore  has  no  equal.  In  the  enlargement  and  improve- 
ment of  the  plant  during  the  past  summer  nothing  short  of  perfection  was 
aimed  at  and  no  expense  spared  to  attain  that  standard.  Both  this  and 
the  Treadwell  plants  and  workings  are  lighted  throughout  with  electricity 
and  power  is  secured  by  means  of  eighteen  miles  of  ditch,  supplying  water, 
a  250  feet  pressure  to  giant  Pelton  wheels,  that  at  the  Treadwell  being 
twePty-two  feet  in  diameter.  During  periods  of  scant  water  from  winter 
frosts,  the  Peltons  are  supplemented  by  powerful  Corliss  engines  and  both 
mills  run  conunuously  throughout  the  year  save  only  for  the  shutdown  on 
Christmas  an  .1  the  fourth  of  July,  with  ores  in  sight  sufficient  to  last  through- 
out the  ^ext  century. 

The  superintendency  of  both  the  Treadwell  and  Mexican  operations  is 
in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Robert  Duncan,  Jr.,  assisted  by  Mr.  J.  P.  Corbus,  and 
to  these  gentlemen  is  due  to  the  high  degree  of  efficiency  to  which  the 
workings  of  the  mines  and  mills  have  been  brought. 

Aside  from  the  Treadwell  and  Mexican  properties,  which  have  made 

this  island  famous  the  world  over,  many  prospects  here  are  being  quietly 

developed  with  every  indication  of  success,  and  a  large  number  of  locations 

are  held  awaiting  development. 

On  Edwards  creek  recer.t  discoveries  have  been  made  which  are  of 
great  promise  and  which  havo  attracted  the  attention  of  prominent  mining 
men. 


44 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


SILVER  BOW   BASIN. 

Four  miles  from  Juneau  at  the  bead  of  Gold  Creek  lies  Silver  Bow 
basin,  where  Juceau  and  Harris  made  their  first  discovery  of  auriferous 
quartz.  Here  the  development  of  properties  has  been  steadily  carried  for- 
ward until  many  of  the  claims  are  highly  pmductive  and  their  permanence 
apsured.  The  first  mill  erected  was  that  of  the  Johnson  Mill  and  Mining 
Company,  for  working  the  ores  of  the  Takou  consolidated  group. 

Takou  Group  of  Mines — This  group  is  situated  two  miles  from  Juneau 
at  the  entrance  of  Lower  Silver  Bow  basin,  consisting  of  eight  patented 
claims  and  a  fine  water  power,  equipped  with  a  ten-stamp  mill,  boarding 
bouse  and  all  necessary  buildings,  both  at  the  miil  and  mine.  The  work- 
ings are  all  under  ground,  and  all  tracks,  storage,  ore  bins  and  exposed 
places  are  snow  shedded.  The  ledge  matter  lies  between  slate  and  green 
stone  walls  and  averages  from  twenty  to  sixty  feet  in  width.  The  ore  is  an 
iron  pyrites  carrying  some  zinc  blend  and  a  small  portion  of  galena,  and  is 
what  is  called  "  strictly  free  milling,"  no  concentrators  bemg  used.  Owing 
to  its  low  altitude,  close  proximity  to  steamboat  landing  and  never  failing 
water  power  this  property  can  be  operated  all  the  year  round,  and  is  the 
first  mill  and  mine  that  has  ever  run  during  the  winter  in  Silver  Bow  basin. 
The  company  intends  to  add  ten  more  stamps  in  the  early  spring. 

Dora  Group  of  Mines — This  property  was  located  in  the  early  eighties 
and  finally  fell  into  the  hands  of  Dr.  H.  S.  Wyman,  wno  built  an  arastra 
and  milled  quite  a  quantity  of  ore  from  the  Dora  claims  with  very  good 
results.  In  1864  120  tons  of  the  ore  were  milled  which  netted  very  good 
returns.  The  property  is  so  situated  that  it  cjvn  be  operated  all  the  year 
round,  and  the  ore  is  of  a  free  milling  nature,  and  the  owners  expect  to 
thoroughly  develop  the  mine  and  in  the  near  future  build  a  mill. 

Here  in  the  basin  is  located  the  twenty-stamp  mill  of  the  Xowell  Gold 
Mining  Company  whicb  is  kept  at  work  on  ores  from  the  Ground  Hog  and 
other  claims,  owned  or  leased,  and  located  in  the  upper  basin,  the  rock 
being  trammed  one  and  one-ha' '  miles  by  surface  and  aerial  tramways. 
Close  to  the  mill  are  the  aprons  and  saving  plates  at  the  end  of  the  flume 
and  tunnel  from  the  placers  operated  by  this  company.  These  placers  lie 
in  the  basin  proper  and  have  been  worked  a  number  of  years  with  gratify- 
ing resultc  and  a  large  amount  of  excellent  ground  yet  remains  untouched. 
The  tunnel  is  lined  with  block  riffles  and  the  placer  debris  is  carried  through 
it  by  the  hydraulic  wash.  A  surface  tram  from  the  lower  station  of  the 
wire  tram  from  the  Ground  Hog  is  also  laid  through  this  tunnel  and  over 
this  is  trammed  all  the  ore  from  the  several  claims  to  the  mill.  The  plant 
includes  a  dynamo  which  lights  the  workings,  and  a  telephone  connects 
the  whole  with  the  main  oflBce  in  Juneau. 

In  the  basin  proper  are  located  many  valuable  producing  claims,  the 
principal  of  which  constitu*  ?  the  Campbell  group,  on  which  a  thirty-stamp 
mill  is  kept  running  during  the  season,  and  the  Aurora  claim,  which  last 
season  was  leased  and  operated  by  the  Nowell  Comi)any. 


THE  KLOXDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


45 


The  lode  is  located  continuously,  from  t^vo  to  three  claims  in  width,  for 
a  distance  of  over  six  miles  through  Silver  Bow  basin  and  over  the  range 
into  Sheep  Creek  basin  to  the  Silver  Queen  with  almost  continuous  surface 
croppings  the  entire  distance.  Following  still  further  east  along  the  belt 
where  the  lode  leaves  the  valley  and  climbs  the  mountain  side,  the  veins 
again  crop  to  the  surface,  and  locations  are  strung  out  from  this  point  over 
another  high  range  and  through  valleys  and  over  ridges  to  Takou  inlet,  a 
distance  of  fully  eight  miles.  On  this  end  are  the  Star  of  Bethlehem, 
Last  Chance,  Sheridan,  Little  Queen  and  other  locations  which  show  some 
very  rich,  gray  copper  ores. 

SHEEP  CREEK  BASIK. 

Here  the  character  of  the  ores  diflfer  greatly  from  those  of  Silver  Bow 
basin  in  that  silver  predominates,  though  the  gold  values  also  increase. 
The  principal  claims  here  are  the  Glacier  and  Silver  Queen,  both  of  which 
are  Extensively  developed  and  produce  ore  of  a  very  high  grade.  The 
Nowell  Company  is  the  operating  owner  of  both  mines,  and  the  superin- 
tendency  lies  with  Mr.  F.  C.  Hammond,  whose  efficient  and  energetic 
management  has  brought  the  workings  at  both  mine  and  mill  to  a  condition 
approaching  perfection. 

Aerial  trams  extend  from  both  the  Glacier  and  Silver  Queen  to  large 
ore  bins  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  from  whence  the  ore  is  conveyed  to 
the  fifteen-stamp  mill,  a  mile  distant,  over  a  steam  railway.  The  mill  is 
run  on  second-class  rock  only,  a  very  large  percentage  of  the  ores  taken 
from  either  claim  being  shipped  direct  to  the  smelters  on  Puget  Sound, 
and  the  milling  done  is  little  more  than  simple  concentration,  as  there  is 
but  little  free  gold  in  the  ores.  An  extensive  canvas  plant,  the  only  one 
in  operation  in  Alaska,  profitably  supplements  the  work  of  the  vanners. 
On  the  beach,  two  miles  below  the  mill,  the  company  owns  a  large  wharf 
and  warehouse  where  all  supplies  are  landed. 

Sheep  Creek  basin  has  many  other  very  promising  claims,  from  several 
of  which  ore  shipments  have  been  made,  for  a  number  of  yearst ;  there  is 
little  doubt  of  its  development  into  one  of  the  leading  quartz  camps  of 
Alaska. 

SHUCK  BAT. 

This  locality  has  produced  large  amounts  in  placer  gold  in  past  years 
though  now  its  lodes  ate  attracting  considerable  attention.  Of  these  the 
Redwing  group  is  most  advanced  in  development,  located  in  Shuck  basin. 

The  ore  is  of  a  free  milling  nature,  carrying  iron,  zinc  blend  galena,  a 
of  copper  in  combination  with  the  gold,  and  a  small  percentage  of  silver. 
This  property  is  sitatued  half  a  mile  from  salt  water  at  a  very  low  altitude 
and  possesses  in  connection  fine  water  power. 

SITKA  DISTRICT. 

While  the  first  auriferous  quartz  discovered  in  Alaska  was  found  near 
Sitka,  mining  operations  have  never  been  vigorously  prosectued  there. 


46 


THE  KLONDYKE  GOLD  FIELDS. 


During  the  past  season  some  interest  has  been  manifested  and  a  number  of 
groups  have  been  bonded  to  parties  who  propose  operations  next  spring, 
A  five  stamp  mill  represents  the  total  of  the  actual  mining  plant  in  the  dis- 
trict though  some  of  the  claims  promise  well. 

THE  SUM  BUM  DISTRICT. 

The  richness  of  the  surface  prospects  in  this  district,  fifty  miles  south 
of  Juneau,  has  inspired  the  gold  seeker  with  great  hopes  for  the  future  of 
the  many  claims  located  in  the  locality  and  the  promise  has  been  fulfilled 
in  every  instance  where  development  has  been  made.  Most  conspicuously  is 
this  true  in  the  case  of  the  Bald  Eagle  mine,  which,  a  mere  prospect  three 
years  since  has  become  one  of  the  richest  and  best  paying  properties  on  the 
Pacific  coast. 


M  m  going  to  Alaska? 


Will  loan  you  money  on  any  good  collateral 
at  reasonable  rate. 

Will  assist  in  promoting  Mining  enterprises 
in  any  part  of  the  country. 

Stocks  and  Bonds  bought  and  sold. 


PHILIP  BULFER, 


122  La  Salle  Street, 
CHICAGO,  U.  S.  A. 


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L.  M.  LORD  AGO.,  PMi 


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^UASHKMS,  1  4k  3  NORTH  CLARK  STRKKT,  CMICAOO. 


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